Of Steel and Magic
by Lolth the Spider Queen
Summary: Transformers Prime(Falling Stars)-When the Primes look for a way to end the war they turn to others who have proved there potential from other worlds of magic and dragons, Moon Nemesis was one of them, plucked from a world left in ruin, a seeker of knowledge and a inventor of great renown, can she along with others end the war or are somethings really unstoppable?
1. From a Calamitous End to a Curious Begin

_**A/N: Hello old and new readers! For those who don't know this story is connected with another that I am currently writing called Born on the Battlefield. So if you want the full story I suggest reading both, preferable with Born on the Battlefield first but go wild, for now. And if you don't know what the heck this is in the first place allow me to tell you, this is a story about my Dungeons and Dragons characters coming into the Prime universe, its a thought I have had awhile and its not really crossover-y so it is here. This first character in this story is from a short lived campaign using the Tal Dorei Campaign Guide from Critical Role, a online show of nerdy ass voice actors sitting around and playing dungeons and dragons. And since we never finished I decided to take some liberty to finish her story, somewhat. Yes there will more characters coming in both stories but hold on its gonna be a ride yet. **_

_**Now with that out of the way, please enjoy the first chapter of the brand new addition to the Falling Stars Universe, Of Steel and Magic**_

_**P.S her Cybertronian name is pronounced Bullet-tah, just letting you know**_

_**NOW on with the SHOW!**_

_**Edit-This story used to be rated for teen but is now mature, it won't always be mature but for safety reasons for later on in this story it has been changed!**_

_Chapter 1-From a Calamitous End to a Curious Beginning_

Throughout my entire life I had only known hardship, but I guess that is the life of a street urchin for you. I lived on the streets due to unknown reasons, my mentor and father figure named Hamilton, said he had found me alone in a shadowy back alley and took pity on me and decided to raise me.

We always figured I was abandoned due to my nature, being a Tiefling, half mortal, half devil. So either someone made a shady deal or someone decided it was a good idea to have friendly relations with embodiment of evil. However you spin it, it's all the same in the end.

I never let my living situation get me down though, I am a natural tinkerer and I love reading new books, or old books, or well any kind of book really. I also guess that's how I found myself a follower of Ioun, goddess of knowledge and what have you.

It's also how I finally got off the streets.

A nearby University which also serves as a temple to the Goddess saw potential in me and took me in. My entire world was changed overnight, I had to say goodbye to Hamilton which was hard but he wanted it for me in the end. I was only twelve at the time and I guess he thought I deserved a better chance in life rather than on the streets.

At first, they sought to infuse my creations with magic, the Age of Arcanum, the time in which we lived, was full of magic. But, this was something I didn't want tainted by magic, for I saw magic as a cheat and a gateway to the sins of creation. Many who practice magic fell into sin, greed, power lust, wrath, the list goes on.

As such, I would never allow the sinful magics of the others to taint my work.

But, my most proudest work was something that was stolen and conjured within my own mind. The part stolen, was the key ingredient, black powder. The rest came from me, but my fine invention was something I didn't like to show off, it was my trump card after all, but my guns have always been somewhat of an obsession for me.

No one is allowed to touch my creations of steel and fire, as sometimes, they can be volatile.

Enough about that though, I must move on or else we'll be here for awhile.

When I turned 19 I had become a full member of the Temple of Ioun, as a scouter for knowledge it was my job to search the land for new knowledge or to record it. And with my inventions being my weapons I had no problem navigating the world.

It's also around this time that I met them.

We were a merry band of Ioun worshipers, who sought out new adventures, treasures and knowledge wherever we went. It was a great couple of years, they even help me out of my shell a bit.

But….it ended in tragedy.

A crazed mage tore open the prison of the Betrayer Gods and their horrid creations, unleashing the hells upon Exandria and what ensued was equally devastating, known as the Calamity, a war that tore and destroyed civilization and the way of life I knew for so little yet so long.

I died.

In the battlefields halfway across the world from my home, I stood against the hordes of evil that wished my goddess dead and I died. I was the last to die, the others, I watched as they fell to blades, magic, claws and darkness.

My name was Moon Nemesis, I was a Tiefling Gunslinger, first of her kind.

And I am dead.

….

…

….

So why doesn't it feel like death?

I've heard of near death experiences or even some who did die but were brought back. I had heard all the tales of such of an event that I had every detail memorized in my mind.

So why doesn't feel like I was told it felt?

"Because it ain't death, Nemesis." A gruff yet cheery voice called out and my yellow eyes snapped open.

I was staring at a metallic ceiling crisscrossed with chains and dangling equipment, some I recognized, some I didn't.

I sat up quickly, looking down to where that icy bolt of magic should've hit me in the chest yet it was gone, not a scratch, even my clothing was pristine, my black coat, my red leather armor, blouse and pants as well as my heel brown boots. My ashen grey skin was clean and not dirt stained and my white hair was in a nice bun, I touched my horns, not broken and shattered, and my tail was still attached to me instead of being cut off.

I hugged my tail with that thought.

It was then that I took in the surroundings.

It was a large metal room, circle in nature, with benching's and tools scattered about, a forge in the corner and a chemistry table off to one side. In the middle was a round table with a strange opal like mirror floating above it.

"Welcome, Moon Nemesis, to my laboratory." The same voice called out from behind the opal mirror, stepping from out behind it was a large rotund metallic man. His metals were earthy and grey in hue, he had a cord like beard and strange glasses fixed to his head, he also held a bottle of something but I couldn't tell.

"By the Knowing Mistress prey tell what are you!? A-And how do you move so fluidly?! Oh my...this is amazing!" I got off of where I had been laying, my yellow eyes wide as I tried to discern how he-or was it even a 'he' to begin with? My itch to know everything was something hard to contain despite my usual reserved nature.

'He' or it I still can't tell laughed heartily. "Ah, you make me laugh, well it's good to know that I have chosen right, it seems this might work after all!"

I was confused, "I-I'm sorry, what?"

"Where are my manners!? My name is Alchemist Prime and I have a proposition for you, if you're interested that is?" He took a swig from the bottle he was holding with an unreadable expression.

"What kind and does it involved you tell me how you were made?!" I asked, my tail swishing excitedly behind my.

He snorted, "I was going to get to that, but, if you really want to know then I think the offer I have for you is an offer you won't turn away, especially with the amount of curiosity you have stored in that tiny body of yours!" He chuckled, I was a head lower than him.

"Get on with it then!" My impatience was getting to me.

"Calm down there Moon, no need to rush it." He grabbed a chair nearby and sat down next to the table with the opal mirror, I followed him also grabbing a seat as he waved his hand in front of the mirror and images came forth.

He went on this long story of him and his people, about how they are aliens from another world called Cybertron, that has been embroiled in a war for millions of years. Which was shocking, as well, he described the two factions, how they came to be and who lead them, the chosen Prime and the fallen warrior.

He showed me images of a new world, close in features to Exandria but with different continents, one less moon and the fact that there were only humans that roamed the planets surface. The war that had consumed their home was on another now, and more than ever he and his siblings wish to stop it.

He told me there would be others like me, to help along with the mission but the fate of such a mission was left in our hands.

Alchemist also told me that if I were to accept it I was to be transformed into a Cybertronian, grounder type thank the Knowing Mistress for that and that I could keep my current weapons, they would just be adjusted with energon bullets instead.

After everything he told me I had a choice to make.

It's not like I could go back, because back in Exandria I am dead, and the Calamity rages on. I don't even know if there is a home to go to! But I know that this world was new thoughts, knowledge and myths and legends to be recorded in the name of the Knowing Mistress, Ioun.

Speaking of which…

"Alchemist, what about Ioun, will I still be able to commune with her or...do I have to give her up?"

Alchemist hummed, "No, that is up to you, from what I understand the choice of having connections to the gods of you're worlds is up to you, even in her current state within your realm, she can still reach just fine, if you so wish it."

I frowned, "Current state? What do you mean by that, is something wrong with her!?" I asked leaning close to him with a frantic stare.

He sighed, "I am afraid the battle you took part in, it was the last battle of the Calamity, and in the end she was greatly wounded in combat against the Chained Oblivion."

I gasped in shock, tears welling my eyes. For her to be wounded was as if someone had wounded a Motherly figure to me.

"I...see...then please...I still want a connection to her...if that is alright?" My voice was weak and Alchemist placed a metallic hand on my shoulder.

"Chin up kid, she's a goddess, she's tougher than she looks." I nodded wiping the tears away before saying.

"Then I accept, I will aid you and your people."

He smiled and clapped his hands together, "Good, good, now you must decide on which side you wish to be with, it's up to you."

A map appeared with two symbols showing the current locations of the Autobots, led by the Prime and the Decepticon, led by the fallen warrior. After hearing everything I think my best chances are with the Autobots, they must have good resources if they have been battling in such a small unit on the world for so long.

And I am never afraid to get down and dirty to get the knowledge that I seek either.

Also, they seem more of the friendly type.

"The Autobots, if you don't mind." I said with a worried smile, still unsure as to how it will all come about.

"Alright then kid, good luck and have a safe journey."

I nodded, "Thank you, Alchemist Prime, for giving me another chance at life."

He chuckled and clicked something on his glasses and in a bright white flash the world suddenly became darkness once more and I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

At first I noticed the darkness, a different type than the previous two times, it was a light sleep darkness. Suddenly something flashed across my darkened vision, something called the HUD, informing me that I was functioning normally, even though some of the words were new I understood what they meant, Alchemist said that when I was transformed I would be aided in helping me blend in better among other Cybertronians.

I guess he meant this.

Slowly things started coming back to me, I could feel once more, it felt like I was lying on a metallic bed, berth, as my HUD called it. It was warm which is strange for metal but I brushed it off.

I then noticed something else other than my HUD, something called a Atheneum. To my understanding it is the collection of knowledge that I have obtained...huh, so I have library within my processor...interesting.

I guess I should wake up my other most important sense, hearing.

Turning on my audios I can now hear a conversation happen close by.

But it's too far away from me to hear, almost as if a wall blocks my hearing, so I increase it, and can now make out the conversation.

"-am is not going to be happy about this Prime. And how in the Sam hill did she end up at the crater sight!? Is she a Con?!" A infuriated voice, smaller than I expected was yelling at a...Prime!? I must be within the Autobot base!

"I check her over, no insignia of any kind on her, just the two weapons that were on her person and nothing else, it was like she was dropped there, unscathed by the carnage around her." An older yet annoyed voice came through, much stronger compared to the yelling voice.

"So what, she's a neutral?!" The first voice questioned.

"And as such we have a code to honor, Agent Fowler, it states that Neutrals are not to be harmed but aided, although I do not know if the Decepticons honor that code and thus reasoned she would be safer here than out there." A strong yet calming voice called out, it sent my racing spark into a slightly relaxed rhythm.

"Well keep me informed of the situation as it develops, I need to let my superiors know of this development." The first voice then went silent before a door shut closed leaving the room silent.

Seeing as the most important conversation was done, I turned my attention away as the two other voices hushed quietly to themselves to focus on onlining my 'optics'...I love this new terminology.

Suddenly the world came into view, I was staring up a cream ceiling with lights streaming down. I looked at the room I was in, it looked like what my HUD called a 'Med-Bay', there was equipment and tools everywhere yet organized neatly, which was a pleasant sight.

As I took in the room I noticed that the door where the voices were was closed...wait how could I hear through that!? Never mind...more important things, like how I look.

Mind you I am not vain, I just want to know what a female cybertronian looks like...knowledge and stuff you know?!

I saw a shiny tray next to me, I took it and looked upon the reflection.

I was a tall yet slender figure with my horns on my helm curving back and up, my hair had turned into white plates that were 'tied' into a bun. My 'protoform' was ashen grey and my optics yellow. My black coat now metallic and my red armor underneath it remand, my 'peds' were heels and I whipped my tail around to see it still there, my 'digits' were sharp and I still had my fangs. Two tires rested on my back while others rested in my legs.

It also made me realize that my back aches from laying on it, guess the tires are sensitive, I did always like laying on my side while sleeping ...ah I'm getting off track here.

I stood slowly, getting used to the shift in the center of gravity before slowly walking towards the door. I didn't see any handles but I saw a code pad and realized I needed the 'code' to get in and most likely out. I looked around the room and saw a 'computer'...what is a 'computer'...well both my HUD and my Atheneum says it's useful for info gathering so it shall aid me.

I walked up to the device but was unsure how to use it, so I let my systems take command, instinct told me to transform my servos, suddenly the digits popped out from the servo and linked by cable linked up with the computer. The computer's 'data' flashed across my optics as my Atheneum cross reference the data I need, the key code, with the data in the computer.

Finally it found what I needed, I disconnected from the computer, making sure also to download a copy of it's content into the Atheneum for later use. My digits returned and popped back into the palm of my servo and after retaking full control walked back to the keypad where I flawlessly typed the code and with a green flash to door automatically opens into a hall.

I looked left and right, both ways looked the same and I sighed.

"Pick a direction and start walking...I guess." I grumbled to myself and decided to go left.

As I wandered aimlessly for about five minutes I began to hear faint voices. I could now start to gage the distance and by golly it was a long ways off. But the fact that I could pick it up means my 'audio receptors' are more sensitive than the normal bot.

I made my way towards the myriad of voices, talking about all things...ME!?

"So we are going to trust her, just like that?" A 'femme' voice called out.

"No, but if she wishes to stay than I must oblige, as we are robots in disguise here. If anything, if she decides to leave then we will teach her the basics before sending her off via groundbridge." The calming voice was back again and I started making my way faster, noticing now that my pedsteps were quieter than expected.

I guess I really am made for info gathering, huh?

_"But could she become one of us, an Autobot?"_ A strange voice called out, yet she heard the translation clearly, which was odd.

"We could always use an extra gun on the battlefield." A tough yet warm voice suggested.

"Well first she has to wake up, only then we'll know for sure." A light almost humor filled voice said to the others, the older voice from before huffed.

"From what I could tell she might be out for awhile."

And that's when I came to the end of the hall into the massive room. It was so tall that I was unbelievable, even at my current size. There was a hole in the wall with metallic rings, another tunnel leading out of the room, a pillar with platforms for small creatures in the center and on the floor was the same symbol Alchemist showed me the Autobot insignia.

It was then that I saw them, but they didn't see me.

There were six other cybertronians in total, one femme and five 'mechs'. The femme was blue with pink highlights and only slightly shorter then me, the mech next to her was my height with red and black colors, the mech next to him was the same height with black and yellow, across from him was a taller bigger mech of green and black and next to him was a taller mech of orange and white.

And the tallest of them all was a red and blue mech.

As I stared at them I noticed a gleam behind them and realized my creations were behind the biggest one. My long range sniper rifle and my revolver pistol, they looked slightly different, using different ammo will do that and emblazoned on each of them was the golden stylized eye of Ioun, my goddess.

My optic twitched, I hadn't realized I had them on me, and some ELSE touched them!

They had yet to see me standing in the hallway doorway.

I called out, "Excuse me," all there helms snapped to me and I felt nervous all of a sudden. "C-Can I have the Betrayer and the Veracity back please?"

There was a stunned silence before the orange and white mech asked in the older voice, "How did you get out?"

"I found my way out." I answered automatically, my nerves getting the better of me as my tail swishes slowly back and forth as I wring my servos.

That caught their attention, it seemed to unnerve them.

The largest one spoke in the calming voice, "What is your name?"

"O-Oh, right. My name is…" I hesitated for a moment before something came to mind and before I knew it, I said.

"My name is Bulletta, n-nice to meet you."


	2. Questions, Answers and Deals

**_A/N: This one will be sorter than usually how I want it because it basically a info dump, but I hope you get some enjoyment from it. For some reason it was also really hard to write it, it just didn't feel right. But I tried my best and hopefully it didn't come out badly. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the show._**

_Chapter 2-Questions, Answers and Deals_

I stood silently as I inspected my weapons carefully, I couldn't see damage on either which was good. Now you may wonder how I got them back? Easy, just told them that they were extremely dangerous when not handled proper and BAM, got my guns back.

After my guns were given back I was introduced to the entire team, Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Arcee, Cliffjumper, Bulkhead and Bumblebee.

"Now with introductions out of the way, answer me this, how did you end up unscathed in a crater?" Arcee with an air of suspicion.

"A crater?" I thought back for a moment, remembering the mention of it before. "Sorry, don't know what y-you are talking about."

She sighed, "How about this, what's your last memory?"

The battlefield of the Calamity ran past my optics and I had to quickly blink it away so as not to go in a panic attack. Regaining composure I answered almost truthfully.

"I remember a battlefield, chaos, then something cold hitting me and then nothing."

The features on some of the Autobots softened, empathizing with my experience.

"I see," Optimus said, cutting through. "If you don't want to dwell on it any further we understand."

I nodded, "T-Thank you, I appreciate it ...So, what now?"

Ratchet piped up, "Yes I was thinking about that, you are a Neutral, correct?"

"Yeah, I suppose so."

Bulkhead butted in, "Have had any combat experience?"

"Oh yeah, I-I maybe Neutral but I still need to protect myself." I looked at them thoughtfully, "You guys want me to join you, don't you?"

"_What gave it away?"_ Bumblebee said innocently, I chuckled at that.

"Well I did hear you're conversation all the way across you're base."

Cliffjumper said, "Wait, wait, you heard us from across the base!? Were we that loud?"

"No, I have super sensitive audio respecters, as well I'm generally more attuned to my senses than others, so much so that I can be as quiet as a whisper."

Cliff's optics widened, "Wow, why are you like that?"

"I serve a great purpose, Cliffjumper. I am a gatherer of knowledge of the safekeeping or finding and restoring purposes. So I must be able to sneak into places and hear things from those who wish their knowledge secret. That is the teaching of Ioun."

Optimus seemed intrigued as he asked, "Who is Ioun?"

"Ah, she is the Goddess of Knowledge and the one I serve, her symbol is engraved into my weaponry." I showed them the golden eyes emblazoned onto the weapons and they seemed to get it.

"So," Arcee said, "Why have I never heard of this Goddess before?"

"Oh," Something popped into my head to answer the question, "My society lives beneath the surface of Cybertron, there are many names for it but most commonly it is referred as the Countless Lands."

"I've never heard of such a thing!" Ratchet scoffed.

"We keep to ourselves…" I trailed off feeling this awkward tension in the group.

"_Hey,"_ Bumblebee called out, trying to change the subject. "_Why don't I give you a tour of the base! Maybe later we can find you an alt mode!"_

"Alt mode?"

Optimus answered, "We are robots in disguise here, which means picking a vehicle mode to disguise ourselves around humanity, the people of this planet."

I nodded and asked, "I-If I may ask, do you by chance of access to scraps and 'blackpowder'?"

Bulkhead asked, "What's 'blackpowder'?"

"Well if you've never heard of it, that means I'll have to look elsewhere, don't worry about it." They seemed off put by it, but I am a naturally tinker, I need materials to make my stuff.

Hm, maybe I should dismantle my guns and see how the new bullets interacted and changed my guns...that's something for later.

"Bulletta, I have another question for you," Cliffjumper asked, "Is everyone from the 'Countless Lands' look like...you?"

He sounded like he was really trying not to sound offensive, which was commendable, he did it better than most people back home. Of course the others didn't like the question at all as he was given a good slap on the helm by Arcee while she growled.

"Don't ask stupied questions like that, it's offensive."

I sighed, "No it's alright, Cliff is actually one of the better ones whose asked me that." They gave a curious glance at me as I was silently asked to proceed. "In the Countless Lands there are many different types of bots, my species are called Tieflings. We are born with the blood of devils and demons running through our veins. Personally, I don't know how I came to be, only that someone either made a pact and I was the outcome or someone...took a liking to the devil or demon and I was born.'

'Either way you put it, our kind is not well liked. They think we are harbingers of evil and while yes, some turn to the darker side of their lineage, I don't. Since I never knew my creators, I have only known myself, and the way of Ioun, of course."

There was a tense filled silence before Cliff said, "That's...rough."

I chuckled, "Yes, but my life was already rough, half of it was spent on the streets and no one, no matter the species, like street urchins."

The tension seemed to leave to room a little bit but not much.

Arcee than said, "Why are you so willing to share with us, you're like an open book."

"Well, I am a follower of the Knowing Mistress, as such I abide by her commandments. I am a bringer of knowledge, I am the one who tears the veil to reveal all secrets, I shall never lie for those who do are never of pure intentions. I will destroy those who would keep the truth from the world and of course, I will never stoop to the level of liars."

Optimus smiled slightly, "Those are very good morals to live by, I think you'll do fine among us, Bulletta."

"Thank you, Optimus, maybe we can discuss further about my home and maybe I can learn more of yours. But for now, I'll take up that offer, Bumblebee."

Bumblebee, who seemed downtrodden at being ignored this whole time bounced right back with glee as he said.

"_Right this way!" _

* * *

"Who knew this place was so big, so how many levels are there?" I asked as we entered the training hall.

"_Oh, there are several, but we don't go into the lower levels, we stick to this one are levels above this one but their human size so we can't get in there anyways."_ Bee said as we stopped in the middle of the room.

Undiscovered levels eh? Side project for later.

"So, what now?" I really had no idea what to do next, there were so many things I wanted to do, but it was far less easier due to my new form.

"_Hm, wanna spar?" _

"Spar? Oh, uh, I don't do servo to servo combat, I stick to my guns." He shook his head at that.

"_How can you defend yourself if you don't have your guns?" _

I scoffed, "I may not do servo to servo, but I am a master of any weapon you can throw at me. I mean, I didn't always have my guns to defend myself." To show what I meant I took a long metallic poll and swung it around before cracking it loudly on the floor in a battle stance.

"_Woah, okay then, why don't I teach you the basics?" _

I stood, "I don't see the point but I will humor you, as repayment I'll teach you some of my weapon combat skills, deal?" I held out my servo to which he grasped it quickly.

_"Deal, let's do this."_

* * *

We spent what felt like hours sparring together, me mostly ending up on the ground in pain. But I at least got the really basic stuff down, like the stance but I had yet to master blocking or even throwing a proper punch.

First going he went easy on me, but I wasn't having it. So I told him to go harder on me and thus why I ended up on the ground, it was nothing new though.

After an eternity, Bee called it.

"_Alright, I think that's enough for today, wanna grab some Energon?" _He said looking to me who, again, lay on the floor.

I sighed as he helped me up, "I swear when I start teaching you I will make you fall on your aft as often as I did." I grumbled as I followed him out.

"_Heh, don't doubt it. But hey, everyone starts somewhere, right?" _

I smiled before shaking my helm, "Yeah, I suppose."

We entered the main hall to see Ratchet working away at the computer, we past him in order to get to the Energon storage area when I was stopped.

"Ep, ep, ep! What in Primus's name happened to you!?" Ratchet stared at me with wide optics, I looked down to notice I was dinged up pretty good and had scuff marks everywhere.

"I sparred with Bee, he was teaching me servo to servo." I simply replied, Ratchet whirled around to the mech with a growl.

"And she's so badly dinged up because….?!" He awaited answers from Bumblebee who simply shrunk back.

"Ratchet," I called out, "It's alright, I-I asked for it."

He looked at me with a scowl, "Doesn't matter, you shouldn't be so badly hurt, come." He didn't ask, he commanded.

I looked back to Bee who seemed guilt ridden and he quickly scurried off. I frowned looking back to Ratchet as he motioned for me to sit on the berth. I climbed on but not before saying.

"That was unnecessary, Ratchet."

He simply rolled his optics, "Oh please, it is common logic not to hurt each other during combat training. It so that we don't have things like this." He gestured to all of me.

**"I. Ask. For. It."** I growled, my yellow eyes flashing and my claws digging into the berth, creaking the metal as my fangs shone in the light.

He seemed to step back momentarily before frowning, saying nothing as he worked to clean me up.

* * *

I went to go find Bumblebee after Ratchet was done with me, we didn't talk after my threatening gesture and I'd rather much leave than spark an argument with the old mech. Anyways, I found my way to Bumblebee's quarters which weren't far from mine.

I walked up towards the door and knocked.

The door opened and I saw Bee standing there with slightly relieved look before returning to his guilty nature he had before.

"_Oh, Bulletta, hey." _

I gave him a worried look, "Are you alright? I wanted to check up on you after what happened before, Ratchet shouldn't have yelled at you like that and I was just worried and-"

"_I'm sorry."_ Bumblebee said, cutting my off. "_I should've not gone so hard on you, it won't happen again."_

"Bumblebee, you are not in the wrong here. Ratchet is, I asked for it and as such deserved to outcome that came from it, don't feel so bad. Besides, to me those were just scratches, nothing life threatening. Trust me, I've been dealt worse."

He looked at me in the optic before sighing and smiling.

"_I suppose you're right, but still, I'll go easier on you next time."_

"Whatever makes you feel better, Bee. Well, I'm going to recharge, have a goodnight Bee!" I gave him a quick hug before walking off and saying, "And thanks for the training session!"

As I walked away my sensitive audios could pick up the faint sound of fans ...wonder where that's coming from?

I arrived at my room, the room was bare and simple, it had a berth, a chair and a table. That was it. And I could work with this. I laid down on my berth and closed my optics, soon the darkness filling up with the data and my Atheneum. It was filled with new info from my adventures, since waking up this morning to now.

I sorted through all the information I collected and organized it within the Atheneum. To me, in my minds eye, the Atheneum looked like a large library of the mind, filled with unreadable books and books of my past learning and such, at the center was a platform with light technology that I could interact and play with.

After I completed that, I pulled up a map of the Base that I had made while on the tour. It also should the area's of which I needed to explore, those being obscured into static. I could easily access the lower levels with my hacking skills, but the upper levels could only fit humans.

I would need to develop what my Atheneum referred to as a Holoform or sometimes called Solidform.

Then the Atheneum brought up an interesting point that I had waved off earlier. The voice that disappeared, the one I woke to, was missing. None of the Autobots had his distinct voice so I am curious as to who it was they were speaking too.

I opened my optics, and looked at my bare room again.

I groaned at it's plainness, this would not stop bothering me until I did something about it.

I amped up my audios to listen to the base, hearing the sounds of the other Autobots sound in recharge I knew I could make headway in not only the decoration of my room but of gathering knowledge and supplies about my surroundings.

The night was still young and it was time to get to work.


	3. Discoveries

**_A/N: Hey! Another chapter! It took some time to find the inspiration but I got there, and a longer chapter too! Yeah! Anyways, enjoy! Also, I posted a drawing of Bulletta on my twitter account, the account is at _**Spellmaster_ **so_ if you wanna check it out go for it! _**

_Chapter 3-Discoveries_

"-etta? Bulletta!?" A voice shook me from my sleep, I shot up from my position on the floor of the main hall. I checked my internal clock to see it was five in the morning!

"Who-wha?" I grumbled in confusion, my vision still blurry looked up to see the image of Ratchet coming to focus.

He looked down at me with a scowl, "What are you doing here?"

I tried to remember what I was doing before this, it slowly came back.

"A-After everyone went to recharge I began making my room feel more at home, by gathering material from around the base. Than I started to focus on getting my projects on track. But I couldn't get far with the limited resources, so I moved on to learning about my surroundings by downloading the entire dataframe of the base."

He stared at me in shock before morphing into an unknown emotion, "You tried to download the entire dataframe of the base?"

I scoffed as I stood, wobbly from my position, "I didn't try, I succeeded."

"Wh-What?! But that's impossible, no processor of any cybertronian can handle that amount of data!" His optics were wide as he moved to the computer.

He looked at the history of the machine to see, indeed, the data was completely copied and downloaded.

"But...how?" He asked turning to me in amazement.

"I have something separate from my processor, called the Atheneum, that collects and stores data. Hence why I serve Ioun, why I am important to her dogma and goals." I smiled as Ratchet stared at me like he had just made the discovery of a life time.

"Bulletta...I know we aren't on the best of terms but-"

I cut him off, "You want to study me, don't you?"

He nodded nervously, and was tensely silent.

I put my servos on my hips, my tail swaying playfully. "I don't know…"

"Bulletta…" He whined, apparently not liked being toyed with.

I chuckled, "How about this is where we start over, alright?" I put out a servo.

The tension left his frame and he smiled slightly, "I suppose that will work." He said as he grabbed my servo and shook it.

"Good," I yawned again, the tiredness catching up again. "Now I think I'm gonna recharge a bit more…" I said as I slowly walked to a nearby berth near the Med-Bay and fell asleep. Again.

* * *

"PRIME!" A voice shouted and I shot up from where I fell asleep. What was with the shouting to wake me up all about, seriously, can't a femme sleep till...one in the afternoon...okay I deserved it this time.

I looked to the source of the shout to see a human man of darker complexion and wearing a blue suit. He had a hard set expression, his eyes holding a fiery passion as the Prime addressed him.

"Agent Fowler, what seems to be the issue?" He asked calmly, it was then that the human bellowed at the Prime.

"Our people have detected an anomaly in your dataframe, something has been downloaded into the frame and is tracking and hacking into other systems beyond the dataframe's supposed reach!" He ranted off.

I was confused, how could that happen.

Silently, I let my right hand fingers detached and snaked their way to the computer in the darkness. Hooking up to the back of the machine I searched for this anomaly, only to find it. I suddenly recognized it, it was a part of the Atheneum or more like, a clone, of the thing now in the machine. It was collecting live data and silently transferring it into my internal systems quietly, gathering it and filing it away.

It must of happened while in my tired state, unconsciously making a code that acts like the Atheneum and then transferring into my internal Atheneum.

I detached from the system and came back into myself.

"I don't know how this could have happened, Ratchet?" The Prime looked to his medic, who looked to me.

The human than finally saw me, his eyes going wide.

"YOU! Are you responsible for this?! What are you? A spy?! A DECEPTICON!?" He yelled, my audio's ringed as the sensitivity of my audios causing pain.

I cried out, clutching my audio's and collapsed to the floor. I felt a pair of servos, from two others, on my shoulders. My optics opened, but I couldn't hear because of the ringing, but from the look of it Ratchet and Bumblebee were at my side, berating the man who looked guilt.

The others held a worry yet lessened, it seems I have not connected well with them yet.

As the ringing stopped the conversation came back to me.

"-ever do that again, now, Bulletta, can you hear me?" Ratchet asked looking me over.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine." I stood, the mechs making sure I was steady as I stood.

The man was silent, staring at me as my yellow eyes narrowed.

I spoke calmly, explaining the events that led to the anomaly and explaining it wasn't malevolent, it was simply seeking.

After I had explained my piece I went on, "Agent Fowler, I've never heard of the Decepticon's before I met these bots. And if I did, I would never work with them, they are what Ioun strays from, they lie, corrupt and manipulate. That is not the teaching of Ioun."

He was silent for a moment before saying, "I suppose...I assumed to quickly." He turned to Prime, "I hope you teach her the rules of Earth, when you need anything for her, call me and I'll see what I can do."

He then quickly turned and headed for the elevator, disappearing behind the door.

"He seems...different." I commented in the silence.

"Agent Fowler is merely concerned, as he should be. But, Bulletta, I would appreciate it if you gave us warning next time." Optimus slightly chided, I groaned.

"Right, of course."

He accepted the answer and walked out of the room further into the base.

"So," Cliffjumper asked, "Speaking of Alt Mode, got any ideas?"

I quickly scanned my Atheneum and came up with an answer, "A four wheeled all terrain vehicle will do. But I have more important things to think about right now."

Arcee asked, "Like what?"

"Well before everything I want to learn more about this planet I'm on, the Atheneum can only do so much. Personal experiences also enhance my ability to partake in information. As well, I think I need a more in depth look at that string of code, linking something to my Atheneum may be dangerous." I explained as I leaned back onto the wall.

Bee asked, "_Can we tell you about our experiences?!" _

I chuckled, "I was insinuating it, but yes, you may."

We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting amongst ourselves, though Cliff and Bulkhead seemed apprehensive they gave me some details. A win in my books. Arcee didn't give any details though, she simply stared at me with an unknown expression, but her optics hid a growing disdain behind them.

* * *

After our conversation we retired for the evening, me again retreating to my room for the finishing touches. I had managed to find extra tools, materials and scraps of things for my projects. My room was now painted a calming blue with shelves filled with interesting things I found around base. I also managed to snag a couple of empty datapads that I am sure won't be missed and managed to set up a small controllable forge off in the corner.

When I finished the forge I realized I needed better venting in the room or it would fill with smoke. So tonight I was going to fix that.

Finding my way up into the crawl space between floors, I was now skuttering my way through, my optics lighting my surroundings.

"Now, where is my room?" I asked myself as I crawled around, looking for the single vent that led into my room.

As I moved through the crawlspace I started hearing voices, I crawled towards the voices, a vent that had become detached from the actually vent and left the grate open to the crawl space.

I stopped above the vent to see Cliffjumper and Arcee in a room, I could tell it was a personal quarter, but whose was unknown to me.

Cliffjumper sighed, "It never gets easier, does it?" He asked Arcee who was holding herself.

"Heh, no." She breathed, looking away from Cliff who looked disheartened.

"Arcee, you know you can talk to me, right?" He asked, hoping to drag something out of her.

"What is there to talk about, Cliff?" She hissed harshly before becoming silent again.

"I've heard the stories, 'Cee, not just from you and I've met the mech myself a couple of times. I know what is bothering you, and you needed to talk about it." He pleaded with her, grabbing her shoulder and turning her face to him with his other servo.

She let a sigh out, "I hate her."

Those words pierced me through my spark, I listened more intently.

"But why?" He asked.

"Simple, she's a liar even if she pretends she's not. No one can be like that, and what about the coding she left on the computer, I bet she planted it in hopes of not being caught. No one can be that open, no one can be that naive, no one can…" She trailed off, her optics hardening.

"She reminds you of him, of Tailgate." He pronounced to the world, as if common fact.

Arcee stood and scoffed, "That's...it's not the point, Cliff. She clearly has an undertone to her, she is hiding something. And I know what she is, a manipulative liar who puts on an innocent act! How many times she has talked about Ioun, that goddess of hers, I bet you she's a zealot, ready to serve US as a sacrifice to her goddess."

Cliffjumper stood, frowning, "Now Arcee, you know that isn't true. You are letting your paranoia get to you and worst yet you are comparing her to someone that needs to be left in the past!"

It was dead silent, she stood there, facing away from him. He seemed to have realized what he said, but as he went to apologize she stopped him.

"No. Get. Out." She said with a deadly calm tone.

He bowed his helm in shame and walked past her, opening the door, he looked back to say something but had to door slammed into his face.

I looked away from the room, my optics hard as I forced the thoughts in my head quiet. I went on, leaving the room that held Arcee. I finally found the vent I was looking for and starting upgrading it, allowing to handle the smoke from the forge.

After that, I made my way back, past the vent.

Looking back in it was completely dark, adjusting my optics I could see Arcee sleeping in a curled position away from the door. I silently sighed, and headed my way out of the crawl space and down into a small hallway that had contained my entry point.

I walked down the hall, realizing I was covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. So I made my way to the makeshift wash racks that the bots had. The wash racks were separated by gender, so basically me and Arcee shared only one while the boys had to share there's, a smaller version of ours.

I turned on the hot water and let it clean off all my armor and my metallic coat. Once cleaned I stepped out for a moment to remove the armor and coat to reveal just my ashen grey protoform. Old scars were still visible from the times in battle and on the streets. One that stood out was a large blast like scar on my chest.

I touched it, remembering the moment that ice blast had pierced my heart and had killed me. I shook the memories away and continued bathing until I was clean once more.

Once done, I gathered my things and headed back to my room.

I laid back on my berth, resting in the more comfortable bedding I had made for myself.

My thoughts were running rampant, and I felt very overwhelmed by the day I had. Maybe I needed to get out for the day, pick my alt mode and explore the outside world with Bumblebee as he seemed well versed of Earth's culture standards.

I closed my optics in an attempt to fall asleep, it did eventually come.

* * *

I came back into the main hall the next morning, Arcee and Cliffjumper on the opposite sides of the room. Bumblebee and Bulkhead were talking to each other and Ratchet with Optimus being missing from the main hall.

I walked over to Bulkhead and Bumblebee who greeted me.

"_Morning, Bulletta!"_ Bee called out.

"Morning, uh, Bee do you mind helping me pick an alt mode, I really need to get out." I asked, glancing at Arcee who quickly looked away from me.

_"Sure! Wanna come Bulk?"_ He asked the large mech who shrugged his shoulders.

"Why not."

I smiled, "Thanks, I'm sure this is just what I need."

Bumblebee walked up to the controls and activated the Groundbridge, I stared at the marvel of the portal. My Atheneum had already given me details of the device but to see it in action was really something.

I walked behind the mech's who walked through first, when I entered I came out on the other side with a sick feeling. It was something to get used to.

We walked out to an outcropping, the sun was almost to the apex of it's climb. It was a wonder to see the sun again, I had missed the feeling of warmth on my plating.

I followed their example as they crouched low to look over the outcropping. There, below us in the valley was a large paved road with many 'cars' driving up and down. Understand, even if I have the Atheneum, nothing compares to seeing things in life, and I have never seen such devices before hand.

The way we got around was either, horse, carriage, teleportation spells or flying spells and that was it, other than your own walking power but that's besides the point.

The point was...I was enraptured.

"I don't know what to choose!" I whispered as my optics looked at every car that passed by.

Bulkhead chuckled, "You'll know it when you see it, it was like that for all of us."

I looked to him with a raised brow, "Really? Ah, I shouldn't question it."

He nodded and looked back to the road.

We stayed there, watching for about an hour. I was getting nervous, nothing was standing out, so, while I watched I asked a question.

"So why did you guys join the Autobots?"

The pair gave each other a look before looking back to the road.

Bulkhead sighed, "I joined when my home was attacked, before the war, I was in construction. For a long time I hadn't taken part in the war but when a group of savage Con's tore through my home I found myself fighting them off. I was recognized for my talent and recruited into the Autobots. I joined the Wreckers when no one would, because...well...it's complicated."

I was silent for a moment, "I'm sorry I asked…"

"No, no. It's alright, I like talking about. Just hard to describe it sometimes." He said with a small smile.

I looked to Bumblebee and asked, "And you?"

_"I...was born during the war. I was one of the last younglings to survive a raid by the Decepticons. Optimus and Ratchet took me in, raised me and taught me how to fight. It's all I've known."_ He distantly looked ahead, I frowned.

"Oh…" I looked back to the road, a real feeling of guilt washing over me.

Bee placed a servo on my shoulder, _"Hey, don't worry about. From what I've heard it wasn't a great place."_

I smiled, "That makes me feel better, but thank you, both of you. For sharing, I know how hard war is, as before all of this, I was at war."

They stared at me with understanding, it was then that I saw it.

Without even a thought a beam shot from my optics and the schematics were downloaded. I gasped and felt the urge to transform.

"I see you found one, lets see it!" Bulkhead egged on.

I nodded and let the code take over, my entire body shifted going lower until it stopped. My Atheneum told me I just transformed into a 1999 Jeep Wrangler TJ Sahara Edition.

_"Nice!"_ Bee said, I transformed back with a large smile.

"Come on, let's head back, we can drive there!" I said before transforming and speeding off.

The mechs quickly transformed yelling something about rules of the road.

* * *

On the way back to the base, Bulkhead and Bumblebee taught me the rules of the road. Which were many, but I kind of got the handle off, but I had some of what they called, lead foot.

Anyways, as we drove back to base we had to travel through a nearby town. It was a very small town called Jasper, it looked like a ghost town if I was honest but I suppose this small town was just that, a very small town.

We passed a large building of orange brick, on a sign it said, 'Jasper High'. It seemed like a school, which I suppose was good. I mean, I technical went to school but I also lived, fought, and worshiped there. I saw many humans, young, exiting the building. They chatted amongst themselves, some simply walked away and some sat down where they were to enjoy themselves.

I pulled over the side, fascinated by these young humans.

As the last stragglers a group of humans caught my attention.

A group of girls were saying goodbye to each other, as soon as they left the last girl, a ginger redhead than gave a deep sigh. A heaviness in her shoulders as she turned and walked away.

For some reason I felt a connection to her, and wondered why someone so young did she have a heavy heart?

"**Bulletta?" **Bulkhead called over the Comms. "**You alright?"**

I replied, "Fine, just curious is all."

He chuckled, "**Yeah, humans can be very interesting, come on, lets head back."**

"Right."

I didn't know why, but I had a feeling I would get to know her better in the future.

Whoever she may be.


	4. The Butterfly Effect

**_A/N: And I'm back with another chapter! Took an entire day to write this one down, it took sometime but I think I got there. Now, we offical begin the Darkness Rising arc of TFP! Lets get started!_**

_Chapter 4-The Butterfly Effect_

I walked down the Autobot base home, towards the main hall. I had received a Comm as soon as I had awakened from my recharge. We were low on Energon, dangerously so. Optimus ordered us up and ready by a certain time and as I arrived on the allotted time everyone else had already gathered.

Optimus noticing my entry began to speak, "Since we are devastatingly low on Energon we must divide and conquer to find new pockets. Even though the Decepticons have been quiet for sometime, that doesn't mean that they are not a threat, so, keep you're comm's open at all times."

Ratchet than directed everyone's attention to a map on the computer, "Everyone is taking a section of North America, but Arcee will be scouting in the nearby area, so you can go ahead and begin your patrol."

She nodded and transformed, heading outside the base via tunnel.

"Optimus, I'm sending you to the far west coast," Ratchet said before turning to the controls and activating the bridge, with a curtly nod he transformed and hurried through the bridge.

He then looked to Cliffjumper, he sent him to the Midwest. Bee went to the Northeast and Bulkhead was sent to the Deep South. Finally it came to me.

"Bulletta, I am sending you to Latin America, will you be alright on your own?" He asked.

I smiled, "I'll be fine, Ratchet, you have my word."

He smiled and nodded, opening the bridge once more to the new location. I transformed into my Jeep form and sped through to appearing in a new location I've never seen before.

It was a dense jungle, with untamed growth everywhere. The sun was hot but the moisture in the air caused the heat to feel...icky. I was on a dirt road, with no signs of humans or civilization anywhere. Looking into my Atheneum, it showed a map of Latin America and pinpointed my location somewhere deep within Amazon in the part controlled by Brazil.

"Finally, some peace and quiet." I sighed to myself before setting off deeper into the jungle, looking for Energon signals.

_An hour later…_

At some point I knew the road would end, as it became more rough by the passing second. Resigning myself to transform I stood to my full height, my helm not nearly tall enough to pierce the thick canopy above me.

"Welp, guess I'm walking…" I said to myself.

I must admit, I hate being alone. Yeah, it's nice to have a little quiet sometimes, I still don't like long periods. I like talking, especially to someone who is willing to listen, I could ramble on for hours, but I guess people also find that annoying. I know some of my fellow Iounians felt that way too ...maybe that's why my team abandoned me to my death….

I shook my helm, I couldn't and shouldn't think that.

Besides, that's in the past now and I have a second chance to change all of that. After all, why not just complete a mission when you can make new friends along the way too, right?

I groaned to myself again, I hate, HATE, being alone with my thoughts, especially when they go to dark stuff like that.

"I never like being alone either, kid." A voice snapped me from my endless wandering, I had unintentionally stepped into a small clearing. The canopy above stretched unnatural to cover the entire clearing which was strange. The flowers and plants here seemed unnatural, with vibrant blues and an assortment of other colors as well.

Sitting at the center, stoking a flame of blue fire while drinking something was the familiar sight of Alchemist Prime, his strange glasses staring at me.

"O-Oh...sorry, didn't mean to intrude." I said to the ancient Prime, who simply laughed it off.

"Ah, no need for that. Come, I have something to discuss with you."

Curious as ever I came closer to the blue fire and sat adjacent to him, "Does it have something to do with the mission?" I asked, hoping to get ahead a little in understanding the call as it were.

"Look, things are about to kick off, kid. And how it ends will not be pretty, at least for one person…" He trailed off, drinking his bottle before saying, "All I am here is to warn you, that starting today everything must be taken with caution."

I stared at him with a frown, "And this person? What is going to happen?"

He sighed, "I can't tell you, kid, at least not yet. I am merely warning you to be on your guard. But as well, you need to solidify you're place here among the Autobots, the outcome depends on this."

I nodded, "I will."

"Good girl, now get going, it's about to start." I sat up, and walked away from the Prime and his clearing, as soon as I stopped out I looked back to see nothing but dense jungle.

I was about to speculate how it was possible my Comm beeped to life.

"**Optimus to Bulletta, we have a situation, it seems Cliffjumper is need of back up." **The Prime's voice buzzed with a hint of worry.

"**Sending coordinates now, sir."** I decided to add the title at the end, for some reason.

Anyways, I sent my location and a groundbridge appeared before me, I ran through to the base on the other side, where everyone was gathered, Arcee pacing with a hard look on her face.

"Ratchet, open the groundbridge." Optimus commanded, immediately the bridge was reopened and we all transformed and went through, I was following close behind Bumblebee and I was followed by the Prime.

As soon as I burst from the portal I was in the air for a moment before transforming and landing hard next to Bumblebee with Betrayer, the rifle, pointed up looking for any signs of danger. Optimus then landed in front of us all weapons out like the rest of us.

There was an eerie silence in front of us, a large smoldering crater was that there was no sign of Cliffjumper or what I assume to be the Decepticons.

"An untapped energon deposit." Optimus surmised everyone's thoughts.

Bulkhead huffed, "What's left of it."

Ratchet almost growled, "The first Deception activity in three years."

"That we know of." Optimus theorized, "If they're scouting for energon, they may be preparing for _his_ return."

I knew he referred to Megatron, this leader of the Decepticons really does not have the best picture painted for him, but since he is the enemy no one really paints him in a light picture.

"Come on, let's search for clues." I said, finally putting my rifle back in its place. We scattered, looking around the deep crater, Arcee and myself jumping down the sides to get the lay of the land at the bottom.

Suddenly I heard Arcee gasp, she turned to everyone who now gathered at the bottom, holding a broken horn in her servo.

Optimus looked to the medic, "Ratchet, can you track his position?"

"No, Cliffjumper's life signal just went offline."

* * *

We stood on a cliff side, a pile of rocks placed in front of us, a grave marker for Cybertronians. It had been a couple of hours since we lost Cliffjumper, I couldn't believe this is what Alchemist meant. Heck, I didn't even get to know him properly, which I know regret.

Optimus began to speak, as Arcee went to place his horn down, "We must not allow our anger over the lost of Cliffjumper to impair our judgement. As of today, only we six Autobots remain on this Earth. We owe it to ourselves to the memory of Cybertron, to any Autobots in any Galaxies seeking safe harbor, to humankind. And we owe it to the memory of our fallen comrade to survive." Arcee began to walk away from the group, "Arcee…" he called.

Arcee said coldly, "If Cliff's gone, standing around here sulking won't bring him back. So unless anyone minds I think I'll get back to protecting humankind." And with that she transformed and rode off in the direction of Jasper, Nevada.

Optimus and Ratchet began to speak but I didn't listen. I transformed and followed at a distance, wanting to comfort and grow closer with the two-wheeler.

As I followed her I realized something, Optimus said six...six Autobots...does he already consider me one already? Or was that just a slip of the glossa? Was that easier to say than 'five Autobots and one Neutral'?

I filed that thought for a later time as I entered the small town, a few car lengths away from Arcee, but then suddenly two identical cars came in between us. I recognized them even if I hadn't ever seen them, Decepticons.

Arcee, also realizing this, pulled onto a parking lot of a restaurant and dismissed her holoform...wait she has a holoform?! Why didn't I noticed that earlier, COME ON, get it together girl!

I followed Arcee into the parking lot and parked next to her, my Comm hissed to life as her voice came through.

"**What are you doing here?!"** She demanded, I settled on my axels slightly.

I responded slowly, "**I...was worried about you." **

She scoffed, "**Really? I find that hard to believe."**

"**Arcee, I know you don't like me. But, I want to be straight with you, I have never had any intention of hurting you...and I'm sorry...for anything I did intentionally and unintentionally."**

There was silence for a moment, I didn't know if I got through to her.

"**...You really sound like him…" **She said quietly, I knew what she meant.

I sunk even lower, "**...I'm sorry, Arcee. But if you don't want to be friends because I...somehow cause you pain then I understand."**

"**No, no. Cliff told me I shouldn't compare you to him...so, for Cliff's sake I won't. It's just…" **She sighed, I smiled a little.

"**It's hard losing someone we care for...I know the feeling…" **

Arcee swiveled her tire a little, "**Right, right." **If she had more to say it was cut off by a teenage human boy exiting the building with a device to his ear.

"Hey, mom, I just got off... No, I'm not going to the dance... Experience suggests I should never cut a rug. Unless I'm installing carpet... Be careful? Seriously? This is a Jasper..." He stopped mid-sentence when his eyes landed on Arcee, it seemed like he almost started drooling.

"I love you…." He started before quickly saying, "I love you too, mom, I got run. Hello, beautiful. Where have you been all my life?" He ran his fingers up and down her leather, I had to stifle a little laugh when he climbed onto her.

"It may take a few K.O. paychecks, But I am gonna own a ride like you someday." He said mostly to himself, and I cut the Comm so I could silently snicker to myself.

Suddenly a girl's voice called out, "Are you talking to your motorcycle?"

I looked to see the same redhead girl with one of her friends beside her, I remembered her from the school I passed before, and became really invested in the dialogue between the two teens.

Jack looked surprised and nervous suddenly, "My motorcycle? No, I mean, yes, yes! It's mine, but I-I'm not talking-it was to you I-I am. How's things, Sierra? Take you for a spin sometime?" So, Sierra was her name? Pretty name.

Arcee lowly whispered, "Come on, smooth operator, wrap it up."

Sierra looked at the boy with surprise, "You know my name?"

He responded quickly, "We are in homeroom together. I'm Jack, Jack Darby."

Suddenly I heard screeching of tires and looked through my mirrors to see the twins from earlier shining there lights on us.

Arcee cursed, "Scrap." She then revved with Jack on top of her before shouting. "Do not let go!"

Jack screamed, "Who said that?"

As Arcee skidded between the two twins she sped off, I shook out of my shock and revved my engines, realizing that one had stayed behind with an intention at Sierra who stood in shock while her friend bolted.

Seeing what he was after I opened my passenger door and yelled, "Get in!"

She jumped in as soon as the car went to ram me, with the door closed I sped around him, heading for the main highway out of the town, dodging the fire that was now coming from the lone twin.

"Wh-What's going-WAIT, WHERE'S THE DRIVER!?" She screamed loudly realizing no one was driving me, I sighed as my audios rang from that and quickly fastened her to the chair with several straps.

She screamed again but this time I shouted back, "Would you stop that, my ears are very sensitive!" I used human terminology to make my point and she stopped, staring wide eyed at the wheel and shifted and moved on it's own.

"Who are you!? Whose he? What's going on!?" She asked as I swerved to avoid another blast.

"Not enough time to explain, so just hang on tight alright!?" She simply nodded and had a death grip on my seat, which were surprisingly sensitive and very painful, but I ignored it for now as I could see I was heading to an overpass with a gorge below us ahead.

Arcee came to ride beside me as we barreled down the empty highway, with Jack still remaining on top.

Sierra stared at my window towards Jack and asked, "The bike is alive too?"

"Yes, and so is that Urban." I said with a smirk as Bee joined us on the highway, slamming into the twins to dissuade them from fighting on.

Unfortunately it didn't last long as Bee was knocked away from the twins using pack tactics who were now gaining. Sierra saw them in the rearview mirror and her green eyes widened.

"What now?!" She asked, I looked to Arcee who ramp up her speed, heading for an unfinished section of the road.

Following the leader, I fell in behind Arcee as I increased the speed to keep up. I could hear Jack screaming and I knew Sierra wanted to but was now aware of my audios so she just held her death grip even harder...better than screaming.

She crashed through the warning signs and jumped before landing on a slant down to the gorge below, I followed suit, it was a rough landing but Sierra seemed okay still. We finally crested over the last edge and coming down hard on the concert bellow, Jack shakily getting off while Sierra clambered out of my passenger door.

Jack looked at Sierra in surprise, "They got you too?"

She nodded numbly before we heard something drop, looking over I saw a young boy with brown hair and glasses, staring wide eyed.

"Woah." He whispered, just as he did we saw the twins up on the edge, they came down and transformed into a battle stance.

Both me and Arcee transformed at the same time, glaring at the Cons.

Arcee shouted, "This ends here, Cons."

The two Cons brought out blasters and began to shoot, Arcee nimbly dodged them while I backed away pulling out Betrayer and aiming at the other while she went for the right one.

I started firing off my gun, a loud blast each time it fired, leave grey smoke billowing from the exhaust, each bullet either hitting him or nearly missing as he dodged and weaved, I tired to move to his movements but the more time passes the more it seemed like he was getting closer.

I heard Arcee shout, "This is for Cliff!" but I focused on my target instead.

I decided to plant myself instead of moving and gritting my denta as his blast now hit more often I fired on shot, straight for his arm. The arm exploded and the limb went limp as he lost one blaster, the Trick Shot working like a charm.

He growled, transforming his other blaster away and charging me.

Suddenly he was too close to use my rifle as intended and before I could switch he was set upon me, he knocked my rifle out of my hands and it scattered to the ground, then he kicked me in the chassis, sending me back a little.

Using my usual talent, I quickly drew the Veracity, the pistol, and fired and volley at him. He dodged each bullet to my surprise before he leaped at me again, but now ready, I roundhouse kicked him back and shot directly into his shoulder, he screamed in agony before grunting.

Transforming his one good arm into a blade he came at me, I fired, but all it did was click….it was jammed! He saw the opening and pierced into my shooting arm, I howled as I was pushed to the ground, he ripped the blade from my shoulder, I could feel the Energon.

I heard Arcee cry out as she was pushed back from her foe, clearly dazed, with the Con pulling his blaster at her.

Realizing we were pinned, I waited for the Con to slash down.

Then, I heard a rev of a familiar engine as diving down from the highway came Bumblebee, who landed between me and Arcee, first punching my would be killer off of me before turning and blasting the other Con away from Arcee.

I stood and said, "My savior…" He seemed to tense slightly at the joke before going back to his fighting stance.

I turned back to my enemy who shook his helm and stood back up but before he could I slammed down hard on him, pinning him to the ground. Taking my pistol I turned it around and using the butt of the gun slammed it hard against the helm, knocking him into a loop of dizziness.

Standing I turned only to hear, "Leave him alone!" I looked to see the young boy screaming at the other Con, who now had his attention on them, "Please?" He squeaked.

Jack screamed, "Bad call. Come on!"

With the Con behind me regaining semblance of cohesion and the other darting towards the kids I took off running, realizing both Bee and Arcee were out of it, trying to get up. Seeing as I was the only one who could do this, I pushed myself harder as I could to see the Con reach into the pipe the kids were trying to escape through.

I grabbed his shoulder and pulled his arm out, with no humans in it, before tossing him with the other.

I looked in to make sure they were okay, the young boy said, "Thanks."

I nodded before being distracted by the Cons getting to their feet. Bee and Arcee came to stand next to me with a battle stance. I heard another engine approaching, looking I could see that Bulkhead was approaching, I looked back to see the twins take off and down the gorge, out of sight.

Bulkhead transformed slamming his fists, "Who's ready to rumble?"

Arcee shook her head, "What took you?"

Bulkhead shrugged his shoulders, "Traffic."

"Liar." I commented, earning a grin from Arcee and a chuckle from Bee.

* * *

I sat on a berth while Ratchet repaired my shoulder among other things, while Arcee and the others told about what had happened after she and I had left.

Arcee finished the story, "And the Cons would have been scrap metal if I hadn't been distracted by the humans."

Optimus looked quizzically, "Humans?"

"Two boys and a girl." Arcee admitted, "I guess a third one caught us in action, I don't know. I was a little busy at the time."

Optimus gravely said, "If the Decepticons are targeting us, anyone perceived as our ally will be at grave risk. Arcee, Bulletta and Bumblebee, you'll retrieve the humans tomorrow and bring them here."

Arcee looked annoyed but said nothing, turning to head deeper into the base.

Ratchet turned from me with a groan, "Seriously, Optimus, is this necessary?"

The Prime turned to the medic, "Yes, and it is final." He then turned and walked out of the room.

Ratchet groaned and I patted him on the shoulder, "It's alright, maybe there not so bad?" He simply rolled his optics before sending me off the rest the patched wounds I had gotten.

But I couldn't rest, and I knew something needed to be fixed.

I brought out the Veracity and starting taking it apart to see just why it decided to jam this time.

As I worked, mapping out the new details of the upgraded pistol in my hand I thought back to the humans.

They were so young and they were about to be dragged into a war they never knew. It wasn't fair, but then again, I've heard similar stories of such things back home. It wasn't uncommon to be thrust into something you had no intentions of meddling in.

I guess life can be unfair...just like it was for Cliffjumper.

But something nagged at the back of my helm about that…

...Wasn't the Nemesis cloaked?

Didn't that mean life signals couldn't be detected on it?

Something is telling me things aren't adding up...and it would be answered tomorrow...


	5. Reunited and Acquainted

**_A/N: And boom, it is time to for the kids introduction to the whole team...and someone's comeback! Lets get started!_**

_Chapter 5-Reunited and Acquainted_

I sighed for the umpteenth time this afternoon, I have been sitting around the corner to the high school where I was to pick up Sierra from and I was getting bored. I mean, how long are their classes? While I encourage school it's times like these where I really wished I had built a time machine ...add that to my project list for later.

Finally, the bell rang out and students stampeded out of the school.

I could see Arcee parked in front of the school and Bee was to my left.

Soon enough the two boys came out of the building with Sierra not to far behind them, it seemed like they were talking about something.

_"Let's move."_ Bee whispered and he charged in front of me.

"Finally…" I mumbled to myself before speeding off behind him, he stopped right in front of the group who looked on in surprise, horror and curiosity. I stopped next to him.

Bee opened his door, _"Alright, little guy, hop in, our boss wants to meet you. His ride is over there and redhead's with my friend behind me."_

The young boy whispered, "So, cool."

Jack stuttered, "I-I think it wants us to get in?"

The boy shook his head, "No, just me. Yours is over there," He pointed to Arcee, "And, Sierra, the jeep is your ride."

"Y-You can't be serious-!?" He was cut off with the boy climbing into Bee's alt and just before the door closed we could hear.

"Hi, my name is Raf, what's yours?"

Bee speed off before another word could be said, I opened up my passenger doorway.

"Wanna ride with me again?" I asked coyly.

Sierra rolled her eyes while smiling, "Only if you don't pull any crazy stunts!" She snickered as she climb in with Jack yelling.

"Wait-!?" Before I shut the door and hit the gas heading after Bumblebee out of town.

"So," Sierra started, "What's your name?"

"Bulletta of Ioun, nice to meet you Sierra."

She gave me a questioning look, "You know my name?"

"Overheard Jack talking to you."

"Oh...right...so...what are you guys?"

I giggled, "I would love to rant to you about that for hours but I think that will be explained back at base."

She shifted in her seat, "Base? Were going to your base?"

"Yep." I replied as we shifted into an uncomfortable silence. "Uh...so..how was school?"

I mentally cringed.

She sighed, "I don't really like school...it's just so boring."

"What!?" She jumped, "How can you find it boring?!"

"Well...it's just so redundant and hard. It's pointless, you don't need the stuff for real life I swear. Besides, I don't need math or science, when I get out of school, I'm going to be a fashion designer." She said, crossing her arms while staring out the window.

"Sierra you need school, it's important."

She rolled her eyes, "You sound like the teachers." She grumbled.

I inwardly cringed, this was not how I saw things going…

Luckily I didn't have to say anymore as Arcee caught up to us with Jack and...wait, where did that girl come from.

Sierra looked out the window at the same sight.

Her eyes widened, "Wait?! Why is _she_ here?!" She said almost disgusted.

"Who is she?" I asked, curious of the whooping newcomer.

Sierra sighed, "Tsk, an exchange student from Japan that causes nothing but trouble. She really gets on my nerves."

"So, you don't like her?"

Sierra grumbled, "No, she's loud, obnoxious and has horrible fashion taste, I mean look," She gestured to the girls attire, "How can you be okay with that in public!?"

"Well...maybe it's acceptable from where she's from?" I countered her last argument. She muttered under her breath. "Also, have you ever talk to the girl?"

"Well no! I wouldn't be caught dead talking to her." She scowled.

If I could shake my helm, I would.

"Sierra, there's a saying, never judge a book by it's cover. How can you judge her if you've only seeing what's on the outside? When you've never seen what actually makes her who she is?"

Her eyes darted around in shame, "Well...err, no?" She almost questioned.

"Then what gives you the right to say such things?" I asked, but she didn't answer as a scream alerted us that we were arriving at base.

The large mesa towered before us as the secret doors slide open to reveal the large tunnel. Sierra's green eyes were glued to the windows as she stared in anticipation. Suddenly the lights brightened and we finally entered the main hall of the base, we slowed our pace before coming to a complete stop as Bulkhead and Ratchet turned their attention to us.

I opened my door allowing Sierra to climb out before transforming behind her as she stood next to Jack, with Raf and the new girl on the other side of the boy.

Ratchet frowned, "I thought there were three."

Arcee shrugged, "Haven't you heard? Humans multiply."

Raf looked to his left to the new girl, "I am Raf." He greeted.

The girl, Miko, simply stared at Bulkhead, "I am Miko. Who are you?" Pointing towards the large mech.

He answered uneasily, "Bulkhead."

Miko's eyes seemed to light up, "Are you a car? I bet you're a truck, a monster truck! Do you like heavy metal? How much do you weigh? Ever use a wrecking ball for a punching bag?"

Raf looked back to us, ignoring Miko, "So if you guys are robots, who made you?"

Ratchet scoffed, "Oh, please." I flicked his arm with my tail with given him a warning look, that kid, Raf, was just too precious and I wasn't about to let Ratchet be mean to him...even if Ratchet is my friend...I think...

Optimus Prime cut my thoughts away as he gathered the children's focus, "We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron. Also known as Autobots."

Jack asked, "Why are you here?"

"To protect your planet, from the Decepticons." He explained.

Arcee walked beside him, "The jokers who tried to bump us off last night? "

Sierra nodded, "Okay. Why are they here?"

Optimus answered, "A fair question. In part they are here because our planet is uninhabitable. Ravaged by centuries of civil war."

Raf asked innocently, "Why were you fighting a war?"

Gods, his too precious, I will protect him with my life.

Optimus again drew my attention, "For most, over control of our world supply of Energon. The fuel and life-blood of all Autobots and Decepticons alike. The combat was fierce and endured for centuries. In the beginning I fought alongside one who I considered a brother. But in war, ideals can be corrupted. And it was thus that Megatron had lost his way."

Interesting, Megatron was like a brother to him...that must really hurt to fight him then.

Miko twirled her hair, bored, "Is there gonna be a quiz?"

Jack glared at Miko before asking, "So what is Megatron or any of these have to do with us?"

Optimus narrowed his optics, "Megatron has not been seen or heard from in sometime. But if his return is imminent as I fear, it could be catastrophic." He went on, "It is best that you three remain under our watch. At least until we can determine our enemies' intentions."

Ratchet groaned, "Optimus, with all due respect, the human children are in as much danger here as anywhere!" I heard the kids scoff at the notion, "They have no protective shell! If they get underfoot they will go... squish!"

He stomped his ped in their direction, they stepped back in momentary fear, and I stepped in front of them with a death glare, which was ignored.

Optimus almost smiled at the gesture before addressing the medic, "Then for the time being, Ratchet, we must watch where we step."

Ratchet grumbled as the Prime moved away from him, he saw my death glare. "What?"

"I'm watching you doc…" I said with a notion of not to mess with me. His optic seemed to twitch at the nickname.

Sierra looked at me with a silent thank you, along with Raf before they and myself screeched at the alarm. Ratchet rushed the controls turning it off much to my relief.

Jack asked, "What's that?"

Bee answered him, _"Proximity alarm, someones on top."_

Jack and Miko looked confused before Raf answered, repeating the same line.

"You understand him?" Jack asked the young boy.

Sierra interjected, "You can't?"

"Wait, you can too?!" Miko asked and Sierra backed away a little in disgust.

Ratchet announced, "It's Agent Fowler."

Raf stuttered, "I-I thought we were the only humans who know about you guys.

...Precious…

Optimus narrowed his optics, "Special Agent Fowler is our designated liaison to the outside world, as he tends to visit only when there are issues. It may be best if you do not meet him at this time."

There wasn't enough time for them to get behind a barrier so thinking quickly I wrapped my tail around all four of them and swung them behind my back. At that moment it was when the doors opened to the angry man.

"Seven wrecks, thirty four fender benders, a three hour traffic jam, and on particular note numerous reports of a speeding motorcycle of unknown make, a unique colored jeep and a black-and-yellow custom muscle car! So, anything you care to get off your tin chest, Prime?" He bellowed as I cringed at my mention.

Optimus almost huffed, "We have the situation under control, Agent Fowler."

Fowler growled back, "They're back, aren't they?"

The Prime sighed, "If you are referring to the Decepticons I have doubts that they ever left. Your planet is much too valuable."

"Then it's time to wake up the Pentagon." He proclaimed, slamming his fist onto the railing.

"Hear me, Agent Fowler. We are your best, possibly your only defense against the Decepticon threat." Optimus countered.

Fowler scoffed, "Says you."

"Hey, fleshy!" Bulkhead yelled, grabbing a tool, "Did anyone get splattered on that freeway? Team Prime knows when to use force And how much to use." He crushed the device in this servo.

Ratchet screamed, "Bulkhead! I needed that!"

Optimus yelled, "Enough! Military involvement will only result in catastrophe. Perhaps you can condone widespread human casualties, Agent Fowler. I, however, cannot."

Fowler growled, "Then do us both a favor and handle this, Prime! Under the radar." He threatened, "Or I will." And the door closed as he entered the elevator.

Bulkhead scoffed, "Pretty big bearings for a human."

Optimus sighed, "Agent Fowler is concerned for his world Bulkhead, as he should be."

"Can you let us go now?" Jack asked, I looked back with a sheepish grin.

"Oh, s-sorry." I set them down in front of me, but not before my tail patted Raf's head who laughed a little, pushing it away.

"So, do all Cybertronians have tails?!" Miko asked excited.

I cringed, "N-No...I'm not a...Cybertronian...in the same way they are."

"Really?" Sierra asked, now curious.

"Yeah...I come from the same planet...but I didn't walk with them. I lived below, in the Countless Lands." I regaled them about myself, telling them what I told the bots while leading them to the human area.

"Well, I think you're tail is cool." Miko said with a smile.

I genuinely smiled, "I've...never had someone compliments my tail or...anything about me before."

Sierra gave a sympathetic look, "You've never been complimented before?"

I groaned, "No...not many like Tieflings. I'm used to it though, I know I am nothing pretty or special to look at."

_"Well that's not true…"_ I heard Bumblebee trail off, I raised an eyebrow.

"What did you say?" I asked, he went rigid, realizing I had heard him. I heard the sound of fans kick in...but where were they coming from?

_"N-N-Nothing! I-I mean-what I was t-trying too...uh-I gotta go over..here!"_ He then raced across the main hall in a flash and into the currently empty Med-Bay.

I just stared at where he was standing, "Well that was weird." I commented, I could hear a couple of snickers behind me and I saw the rest of Team Prime trying to look nonchalant...they were horrible at it too.

"Okay, so!" Miko clapped her hands, focusing the attention of some of us on her. "What now?"

Suddenly the computer beeped into life, before Ratchet could get too it though I was already there, analyzing the data.

"Cliffjumper's signal, it came back online?!" I proclaimed in surprise, Ratchet ran up next to me looking at the screen.

"She's right! Blasted Earth tech, must be another bug!" He growled, kicking the base of the computer.

"Who's Cliffjumper?" Sierra asked, but she was ignored by Arcee.

"Optimus, if there's a chance Cliff's alive…" She trailed off, begging to her leader.

Optimus nodded to Ratchet, "Open the groundbridge, and prepare the Med-Bay."

Bumblebee came back to the room, seemingly more calm than before but avoiding optic contact. He joined the Bots, and I went to step back when Optimus said.

"Bulletta, I would like you to join us on this mission." I looked at him in surprise.

"Me?"

He nodded, "You fought beside Arcee to protect those humans from the Decepticons when you could've stayed out of it. I think we would be honored if you joined our ranks, if you choose so."

I smiled, "I would be honored, but first, let's bring Cliffjumper home." I looked to Arcee who nodded a thank you.

The groundbridge came to life and Optimus proclaimed, "Autobots, roll out!"

We all transformed and drove behind _our_ leader, towards unknown territory.

* * *

We arrived in a large cavern, it was dead silent but for only the pitter-patter of water dripping from the ceiling. We engaged our headlights, transforming back into our root mode. It seemed like the coast was clear.

"It's too quiet," Bulkhead said, clearly unsettled.

Optimus's facemask slid over his faceplate, "Proceed with caution."

We drew our weapons, I took out Veracity, newly fixed and ready.

Slowly we made our way down, further and further, as we went down I noticed that there was nothing here, nothing, not even small Energon crystals. It was...odd.

"I don't like this." Arcee commented in the now cold wet air.

"Wait." I said, stopping the group.

I listened close, to the silence, to the water dripping and there...soft venting, slightly wheezing, far off towards a splinter tunnel. I took off running down that direction, the Autobots quickly following me.

After some distance and some twist and turns I stopped in a large cavern.

"Bulletta, don't run off without explanation." Optimus said, as he caught up.

I shushed him, "I hear something."

"What do you hear?" Bulkhead asked.

"She hears me…" A pained voice called out from the shadows of another tunnel, stepping out was a battered and weary Cliffjumper, smiling with tired optics.

"Cliff!" Arcee raced up to him gave him a hug, there was a slight fizzly of his optics before he smiled.

"Miss me much?" He asked, she let go of him.

"Don't even…" She chided, her emotions getting the better of her. She gave a light kiss to his helm before saying, "Let's get you home."

We returned without issue, Cliffjumper was taken by Ratchet to the Med-Bay while Arcee was kept away for the Doctor to work. All the while the kids were silently watching.

I sat on a crate not to far from them, fiddling with a circuit board I intended on using on a drone I was building...yes a drone, need something to be my eyes when I'm too far away to understand just by listening.

"Bulletta," I looked up to Optimus, "I wished to thank you personally for bringing one of our own home, you really have earned our insignia. Once Ratchet is down helping Cliffjumper, go see him, he'll help you with your badge."

I smiled, "Thank you, Optimus. But...the rescue of Cliffjumper raises more questions than answers."

"Indeed, but for now, let us relish in a friend returned home." He said, patting my shoulder."

I nodded and he walked off, I seemed to have a growing respect about my new leader. Of course there were secrets there too, ones I'd love to know, if he trusted me enough.

"Hey Optimus," Jack gathered the Prime's attention. "I-I hate to bug but no bars?" He raised his small device, a phone, to the Prime.

"A security precaution, the walls of the silo insulate radio waves." The Prime explained.

"Right, well, if I don't call home like right now, the cops will be looking for me." He sighed.

"Have you broken the law?" He asked.

Jack shook his head, "Curfew."

Optimus mused, "Human customs, I hadn't considered. But you're safety remains an issue. So, I will assign guardians to you all. Bumblebee, you'll accompany Rafael home." The mech nodded and Raf smiled at his new partner as they took off together, but not before the mech gave me a small wave.

"Bulkhead, you'll accompany Miko." Optimus said, Miko celebrated.

"Wait till my host parents see you, they'll freak!"

Optimus rephrased, "And maintain surveillance in vehicle mode."

The girl sighed in defeat but went with Bulkhead heading for town.

"Arcee, you will accompany Jack." Arcee looked betrayed.

"But, Cliff-" Optimus cut her off.

"Will be here when you get back." Arcee sighed and transformed, allowing the nervous boy to climb on and ride out.

Then, came the last one. "Sierra, you will be accompanied by Bulletta."

"Really?" I asked, "You trust me that much already?"

"Yes, you have proven more than enough to me you can be trusted with the task at hand." He said before bowing out of the room.

I looked back to Sierra and smiled, "I guess were stuck together."

"Let's head home." She said, almost apathetically.

I shrugged it off and transformed, allowing her in as we headed back to town.

As we drove something kept nagging me, "Sierra, are you okay?"

She sighed, staring at the stars, "I don't know if I'm being honest...it's just that there's been so much to process today. And then to top it off my entire view on those around me has changed."

I slowed down, so it would take longer to get back.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I think you are right about judging a book by it's cover. " She said.

"Tell me how?" I asked, so, she turned to clock back, to when we went to investigate the cave.

* * *

_Sierra's POV_

I saw a group of aliens known as the Autobots leave through a giant swirling portal. I was amazed as they disappeared through the portal only for it to shut close and disappear.

"Woah." Raf said next to me, adjusting his glasses as he did.

"What just happened?" I echoed Raf's amazement.

Ratchet gave an annoyed look before explaining, "I transported them to the desired location via Ground Bridge."

I looked to the others who were equally confused.

"What's a Groundbridge?" Miko asked, Ratchet sighed.

"A scaled down version of a Space Bridge."

Raf then concluded a thought, "So you're stuck here aren't you?"

Ratchet grumbled, "Yes, with the likes of you."

"So, does it work for humans?" Jack asked, trying the change the subject. He really seemed to not like conflict.

"Naturally." The medic replied.

Miko jumped next to me, "So I could just shoot over to Tokyo and visit my parents?!"

Ratchet turned, a glint in his eye, "Certainly, why don't I send you there now, all four of you." He threatened.

I frowned, "Watch it, Ratchet." I snapped back, I was not about to be bullied by a giant grumpy robot.

He seemed to jump slightly back at my comment, before shaking it off and returning to the computer. I looked back to the three in the room as the scattered slightly, taking in their surroundings. I must admit, I had the itch to search this entire place, just for the hell of it.

"What's this?" Miko reached for a piece of machinery clearly broken.

"Broken, don't touch." Ratchet called from the computer.

Miko, typical, trying to get into trouble again.

"Don't touch that either." I looked back to the girl to see she was about to reach for something again.

I scoffed, really, did Bulletta really think there was more to this girl than what was clearly on the display? I looked away back to Raf who was setting up his laptop.

I searched for Jack who was standing off to the side, deep in thought.

I walked over to him and stood next to him, "Not how I expected things to go, I mean, stuck with aliens and not to mention Miko."

He gave a questioning look, "Miko? What about her?"

"Well you've heard and seen what she does around school, she'll bring nothing but trouble." I said, crossing my arms.

"Sierra, she might be...different but she didn't grow up here. Even if she gets on your nerves I bet she's completely different on the inside...at least I hope." He laughed as Miko was goofing off near Raf's station.

"I suppose you have a point…" I said, trailing off as Ratchet stared at his computer amazed, apparently the boy genius fixed the computer for the medic while we talked.

I kept my eyes on them, thinking back to what Bulletta said.

….Maybe I was wrong ...only time could tell.

* * *

_Bulletta's POV_

"So, you think you'll give them a chance?" I asked as I pulled up to the simple house of grey and blue.

She tiredly smiled, "Yeah...and thanks... for yesterday I mean." She climbed out my form, I closed the door.

"Don't sweat it, Sierra, just know you can talk about the things that are bothering you, alright?" She nodded before a door slammed open.

Looking to the house I saw a tall woman with large poof of red hair and blue eyes, she was older but still dressed like she was young with way to much makeup and very long nails.

"Sierra Marianna Chambers! Where the hell did you get that jeep!?" She yelled across the lawn, walking up to the poor girl.

"M-Mom...uh, a friend let me buy it o-off of them for cheap! S-So now you don't have to…" She trailed off, nervously wringing her hands.

Her mother hummed, walking around my vehicle form, inspecting it with almost a disgusted look. She stopped in front of my grill before looking to Sierra.

"Not bad, but a Lambrogini would've been better for your image darling. You need to stay on top, as it is the only thing that matters in life, alright deary?" She said before strutting back to the house and closing the door.

There was a moment of silence before Sierra said.

"Sorry."

"It's cool, I've known her types back home." She sighed before heading towards the house.

She waved a little before stepping inside and shutting the door close.

….

I must say, my new partner is way more interesting than I could've ever predicted. But it seems like she is lost, between her Mother and between what the truth is and as the job given to me by Ioun, I will reveal the truth of the world to her.

And steer away from the path her mother clearly wants Sierra to go down.


	6. Prelude to Chaos

_**A/N: And here we are! The next chapter in the story, this one was a fun one to write, lots of surprises up ahead! And I'll voice my excitement at the end so that you ain't spoiled, now, let us get into it!**_

_Chapter 6-Prelude to Chaos_

I arrived back at Base the next day, Sierra hopped out of my Alt Form and made her way up on the human platforms were the others were. It seemed there partners were getting along, but the most surprising thing awaiting us was Cliffjumper, standing near Optimus and Ratchet.

"So...you all decided to reveal yourselves to humans while I was gone? You really do you need me, don't you?" He said coyly, Arcee smiled and ran up to him and hugged him.

"Shut it, you lug." She said, before pulling away before lightly punching him.

"Good to have you back!" Bulkhead chuckled giving him a good bro handshake.

_"Ah yeah!"_ Bee cheered.

Everyone seemed to be lighter than before, but...something wasn't right...I couldn't tell what it was.

I smiled though, "Good to see you're still with us, Cliffjumper. Are you going to fix that horn of yours?"

His horn was still broken, Cliffjumper merely shrugged, "I think I'll keep it the way it is. Battle scars and all."

"Right, so, what happened exactly?" I asked, the kids who were listening piped up, mostly Miko, of course.

"Yeah! They thought you were dead! How'd you escape? How many Cons did you scrap?" She asked gleefully, Cliffjumper seemed to take right to the girl's enthusiasm.

"Spunky one aren't ah, well, I didn't really take any Cons down but using my wit I managed to escape. It was nothing amazing but hey, I'm alive and that's all that matters." Cliffjumper then turned to Optimus, "But, it was still harrowing, mind if I rest for the day?"

Optimus smiled, placing a servo on his shoulder, "You deserve it Cliffjumper, go, we now have plenty of backup to assist us." He motioned to me and Cliff looked surprised.

"Really? You are one of us now?" I hear it in an undertone that he held, there were the barest hints of suspicion melted into his words.

"Yes, though I have yet to receive my badge." I hinted to Ratchet who waved his servo.

"Lets get that done now, Cliffjumper, go rest." Ratchet shooed the red mech away as he guided me away into the Med-Bay for my badge.

* * *

An hour later I came out of the Med-Bay with my new badge, now resting on my shoulders were my doors rested. I looked around to see the children setting up an area for themselves, apparently getting supplies from somewhere. Cliffjumper is nowhere to be seen along with Arcee, Optimus was off somewhere and the other two helping the kids.

"Hey guys." I said, Sierra turned to me with a small smile.

"Nice badge, Bulletta." She said, pointing to the symbol.

I gave a slight smile, "Yeah, kinda hard to believe it."

Bulkhead chuckled, "You'll get used to it, so, now all that is a problem is Fowler."

"Right, he doesn't know about you guys." I gestured to the humans on the platform.

Miko shrugged, "So? What happens if he finds out?"

Sierra rolled her eyes, "His from the government and when now a government secret, what do you think will happen?"

"I know! That's why I'm worried." She lamented, Sierra's features softened. "Bulk is awesome, and it made Jasper, Nevada way more exciting!"

"I agree with Miko, Jasper's way more fun with Bee around!" Raf said, adjusting his glasses and smiling up at his friend.

"But," Jack said, "There is also the fact that this is dangerous, I mean, we've literally walked into something we can't even fathom quite yet!"

"Exactly, Jack. I'm worried about all outcomes when it evolves this government. From what I've gathered it seems 'America' is not a peace-loving nation. What with it being the biggest military force on the planet and with all those secrets it likes to keep." I said, my tail swishing behind me in anxiety.

"_You mean like us?" _Bee joked, I gave him a deadpanned look before going on.

"Point being, we need to figure out a way of slowly telling him, or it will end disastrously."

Bulkhead shrugged, "How about for now we keep it from him and when Optimus or someone comes up with an idea we just keep it as it is?"

"Fine. By the way, where's Cliffjumper, I want to talk to him." I asked the two who simply shrugged, "Great, alright, Sierra don't get into too much trouble."

She gave me a cool stare, "Since when do I make trouble?" There was an undertone of offense from her but I promptly ignored it and made my way further into the base.

I walked for two minutes searching the base till I decided to listen closely. Ramming up my audios I began to hear the distant voice of Cliffjumper talking to someone. It was hard to make out because whispering but I soon started coming closer, to the training area and the voices became much clearer.

"Look, all of it's a real blur. Does it matter how I got out? I am alive, that's all anybot should care about." He asked to another.

Then the familiar voice of Arcee asked, "Cliff, we were really worried about you...we-I thought you were dead! We just want to know what happened."

Another voice rumbled out, the baritone of Optimus Prime said, "Cliffjumper, it's bothering you, we can all tell. I believe saying what is bothering you can help the process, you may have mostly healed physically but we worry about the mental wounds."

I finally made it to the training room, my silent peds stopped in front of the doorway, staring into the room with said three bots. And what appeared to be destroyed dummies.

"Mental wounds?" Cliff scoffed, "Prime, 'Cee, I'm fine. Outside and in. You guys are worried about nothing. I'm fine."

"Are you sure, Cliff?" Arcee asked, worry evident on her face.

"Yeah...just need to get my groove back. Can't let the Decepticons take me so easily again, am I right?" He smiled with a goofiness to it.

Arcee sighed, "Alright, but Optimus and I as well as the rest of the team are here for you, just remember that?"

"Of course, 'Cee." Cliff said before turning to the Prime. "Thanks for looking out for Arcee while I was gone." He gave a playful smile to the Prime.

A slight smile returned to the Prime, "Well, it really wasn't I who was."

Realizing the conversation was coming to an end, I hid behind a crate near the door. I had the intention of speaking with Cliffjumper alone. So, waiting for a few seconds, Arcee and Optimus walked by me, closing the door behind them as they left the room.

I heard a sigh, "They wouldn't get it…" I heard Cliffjumper mumble to himself.

Coming out of my hiding spot I asked, "Wouldn't get what?"

Cliffjumper jumped and pulled his blasters on my before realizing who I was and putting them away, growling, he asked. "What are you doing here?"

I walked up cautiously towards him, kicking a broken dummy out of the way.

"I heard your conversation with Arcee and Optimus, and I wanted to talk to you about it."

He narrowed his optics slightly, "You were listening in on our conversation? What are? A spy or something?"

"That's not important. What is important is why you are keeping to yourself about this whole incident." I asked, trying to avoid the topic of me.

Cliffjumper's whole exterior seemed to darken, "Why should I tell you?"

"Well," I mused with my tail gesturing to myself, "I'm new, I barely know you. So, what right do I have to judge you or you're actions? I'm someone who doesn't know you're past or you as a person, so, why not? I mean, you have to tell at least someone, why not tell the person who you can save all knowledge in her helm? I am a reveler of secrets and one way or another, those will come to light. It just depends on you. If this secret looks bad on you, then I can help defend you…"

I let my words trail off, with a suggesting tone. His optics focused into nothingness as he thought.

I added, "I have been used as a confidant for many people, I know when to release my knowledge Cliffjumper. I don't just willy-nilly tell everyone's secrets to everyone. Sometimes, thought I hate it, secrets have their place." I felt like the last part really aligned with my secret mission, but I let the thought slide.

He was silent for a little longer before he deflated and vented.

"You have a point, I'll give you that." He sighed once more, pulling crates over we both sat down, facing each other. "While on the Nemesis, I almost met my end."

My eyebrow quirked, "Almost?"

"I was saved, by one of their own. A new femme I had never seen before, strange one too. She had pure blue-green optics and her protoform was pure black, like it was made from shadow. Anyways, Starscream was about to skewer me when...she stopped him. She told him about how killing me was a mistake, one that may cost his life later on. And...he let me go, after that I was escorted away with her, she told me her name was Moonfall and that she was with them on a 'need to know basis', whatever that meant." His optics were trained to the floor.

I narrowed my optics, "So, why keep it to yourself?"

"I DON'T KNOW, OKAY!?" He shouted suddenly, his optics wild as he went on, "I...can't for some reason, something inside of me is stopping it. But...you, you are different! And I don't know why I can't trust them to handle the truth, but...you should've seen her...she seemed so...I don't even know."

I said softly, "Take your time, Cliff."

He struggled to find the words, his frame shuddering and his optics twitching.

"I...she...she's not like us." He vented hard, "She's...damaged in ways I can't possibly know and yet...she's a neutral. She's otherworldly...not Cybertronian...but something else. She sees reality for what it really is and...she knows how to react accordingly. It's like...she isn't even from this world."

I was silent for a moment, I remembered when Alchemist told me that there would be others and I realized not all of them will be Autobots, there was A choice, I chose the Autobots and someone else could've easily chosen the Decepticons.

The way he described her, I've heard of those kinds of creatures though rare.

"She's a Fetchling." I said after a long silence, he looked at me confused.

"W-Wait, what? Are you saying she really isn't a Cybertronian?" His plates seemed to tense with realization.

"Yes, what you've described before was a Fetchling, a creature born from darkness. In a realm filled with undeath and despair, Fetchlings were trapped servants of powerful wizards who evolved in the Shadow Plane only to return to our world in small numbers, they are a rare breed." My Atheneum was pulling old data from my files as I listed the facts off.

"O-Okay, but, what about her demeanor and this...urge in me?! Why can't I get her out of my head...why does she feel so...wrong?" He then looked to me with narrowed optics, "Why do you feel so wrong?"

My sparkbeat skipped, and I realized something.

Deep down he knows, maybe he was supposed to die, and this is the universe giving something to him. Instead of giving death, it gave him something else.

I was tense, my tail frozen in it's slow constant movements.

Then, a small whisper came into my audio.

"It's alright, kid, tell him." Alchemist whispered before I felt the tension leave all at once.

I gulped, "Your r-right, Cliffjumper. I am wrong, I don't belong here because I was placed here."

His optics widened, like he didn't expect this answer.

I told him.

Everything was laid bare on the invisible table in front of us. The mission, my role in it and Moonfall's, and about the Primes and how everything hinged on us.

He simply listened intently, absorbing the information.

After I explained it to him, he asked me.

"What happened to bring you into the presence of the Primes? What...were you before this?"

My optics grew heavy at the answer as flashes crossed my mind, "I won't say much as it's still hard to look back...but...what led me to the Primes was my death…"

"I'm sorry I asked." He said quietly.

"It's okay, maybe one day I can talk about it. And maybe one day I'll get to know the Cliff who lived on Cybertron as well." I gave a smirk.

He chuckled, "Sparkling steps for both of us, I suppose."

I nodded, "I hope you can keep this conversation to yourself for now."

He gave me a sardonic look, "Keeping secrets now are we? I thought you were an open book?"

I playfully scowled, "Hey, just because I don't reveal secrets right away doesn't mean they stay hidden forever. It's timing, and I know the truth can do more harm then good, I'm not that dumb."

He laughed it off, "I know, but, I guess this means were each other's confidants?"

"I had hoped to be friends?" I asked, putting my servo out.

He smiled, "I think we can manage that, 'Letta."

I laughed, "So, we doing nicknames now, Cliff?"

"Maybe…" He deviously said before standing. "Now, lets get outta here, I need to stretch my legs, there stiff."

"Aren't they supposed to be stiff, made of metal and all?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes and we both made our way out of the room.

* * *

We made our way back to the main hall, along the way we chatted about our weapons, me gushing over mine more than his. He seemed impressed that I could make these weapons at such a young age, and of course he was interested in the old ammo that used blackpowder...seemed like I might have someone who enjoys explosions as much as I do.

As we entered we saw everyone gathered, the Bots looked at us with surprise before promptly going back to what they were doing, Arcee approached us.

"Where were you guys?" She asked, almost suspicious or...jealous?

"Ah, just chatting with the new metal on Team Prime." Cliffjumper waved it off.

I then remembered when we found Cliffjumper back at the cave...now I understood the current of tone under her earlier words.

"Really?" She asked.

If I could sweat…

"Yeah, why? Something wrong?" He asked, clueless.

Arcee looked to me, "You have anything to say?"

"Uh...I see Cliffjumper as a brother…" I said quickly, Cliffjumper looked confused before realization hit his face.

"Oh! Oh no, Arcee I would never do that to you I just-"

Arcee cut him off with a devious smile, "I know, I'm just messing with you."

I physically gave a sigh of relief as she went on.

"Besides," Arcee looked to Bumblebee, "I think Bulletta is already taken."

Now it was my turn to be clueless. "What…?"

She smiled, "Nothing…" She said as she pulled a confused Cliffjumper away to another part of the room.

I stood there, still confused, I really hate being in the dark. It felt like everyone knew something I didn't? And why did she look at Bumblebee when she said that?

I walked over to the human area, when I arrived, Sierra spoke up as it seemed my turmoil was written clearly on my face.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

I sighed, "I feel like I'm out of the loop about something." Looking to her she seemed as confused and worried as I was.

"Hm, well, what makes you say that?" She asked, Raf then added.

"Yeah, I thought you were an Autobot, don't they keep you in the loop?" He asked innocently.

"Actually, I only recently joined the Autobots, I was a Neutral before."

Miko sprang out from behind Sierra, spooking her slightly, "Oh yeah! Remember when they went to get Cliffjumper?"

"Right." Jack affirmed, "So, what do you think your out of the loop about?"

"I don't know, because I'm out of the loop. And to top it off, Arcee just said a weird thing, that I 'already belonged to someone' or something like that. And before that she was tricking us into believing that she was suspicious of us having an affair together when clearly we weren't and while she said it she looked at Bee!" I ranted off, my anxiety becoming clear to the kids who looked at each other with concern.

"She looked at Bumblebee when she said that?" Sierra asked.

"Yes." I answered, looking back to Bee who was talking to Cliffjumper and Arcee.

Miko shrugged, "Well...I can't help you."

"Great, thanks." I said in monotone.

"Hm, do you have theories, I mean, what comes to mind when you see Bee?" Raf asked, adjusting his glasses.

I was about to answer when a beeping started coming from the computer, Ratchet called out.

"Optimus, I just received an SOS from an Autobot ship. It's entering the atmosphere and seems to be running from a Decepticon ship" He said, we gathered around him, staring at two dots as the came to land on a large island in the north.

"They've landed on Baffin Island, Ratchet, fire the groundbridge up and prepare the Med-Bay." Optimus called as we turned to the darkened tunnel.

Soon enough the tunnel alighted and Optimus called.

"Autobots, roll out!" We transformed and launched ourselves through the portal and towards fellow Autobots in distress.

* * *

We exited out of the tunnel in a crisp cool air, transforming quickly I came to rest beside Arcee with my Veracity drawn and ready. The hard pack tundra earth was below us and in front of us was two large groves, each holding sizable ships. Each bearing the symbols of the warring factions.

The Autobot ships main door was open and smoke bellowed from within.

Exiting out of the grey smoke was two figures, and to my surprise, almost carbon copies of one another. One red and one yellow, both built to be grounders and both coughing as the came out.

"Seriously, could you be even more rough in your landing?" The red one asked.

"Oh can it, bro, at least we're alive!" He replied grumpily.

Bulkhead's optics widened, "Oh no, Ratchet isn't gonna like this."

"Huh?" I asked, I looked back at the twins who finally saw us.

"Woah! Optimus Prime is on this rock?! Never mind what I said before you rock at driving Sunny!" The red one shouted.

Sunny, I suppose a nickname, said, "Don't mention it, Sides."

"Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, it is good to see you well." Optimus said, dropping his mask.

"Good to be back with you Prime, especially if that means Hatchet's around." Sideswipe said with a devious smirk.

"Aw, and here I thought I couldn't puke harder from all this Autobot mushiness!" A harsh female voice called out.

Weapons pointed, we looked to see a wicked looking femme. She jumped down with a deranged expression of her face. Her armor was very sharp and her colors were dark blue and black, her red optics boring holes into ours.

"Seriously, Astraea, wait for backup!" Another voice called, landing beside her were two mechs, one light blue and white, the other purple and yellow.

"Why? These Autobots are just dying to see my fireworks!" She pulled out several disks and threw them in front of us, we heard a beeping and Cliff yelled.

"Hit the deck!" We ran but the blast still caught us forcing us back.

The smoke covered the battlefield, suddenly Astraea burst through the cloud with a grenade, seeing it I took aim. She threw it at Optimus, the biggest target. With one breath I fired and the bullet hit it's mark exploding the air, harmlessly.

She looked at me surprised, "Well, I've never seen you before, good shot."

I paused, was that a...compliment?

"Astraea, are you insane?" The purple and yellow one called.

"Maybe, or maybe Thundercracker and Skywarp, you are just as cowardice as your brother!" She mocked and the two growled at her.

"Enough, you are clearly outnumbered, surrender!" Arcee called out, tired of the banter.

Astraea seethed but before she could speak, another groundbridge opened, then another and another until suddenly drones flooded into the tundra. Then one finally one opened on a nearby hill and rushing through it were several figures.

My Atheneum kicked in, it had read up on the files in the base about the Decepticons and now it matched faces to names.

The first was the leader himself, Megatron, an imposing figure that I myself could see as someone not to go one on one with. His massive cannon put my guns to shame and the scar he barred were something not to scoff at.

Next was the most silent yet deadly Con, Soundwave, not much is known about him but he's been with Megatron since the beginning and was in the same Pits as Megatron where they both honed their fighting skills, he was someone that could rival my hacking skills as well.

The last mech was Starscream, who looked eerily similar to Thundercracker and Skywarp. Apparently he was there brother, and a dangerous one at that. A cunning and treacherous seeker who could kill you as easily as manipulate you.

The final one was a femme and from remembering the description from Cliffjumper I knew this was Moonfall. New information poured into my Atheneum, being fed by an outside force, Alchemist I believe.

Apparently she was a former adventure like myself, who had a rough life in a Cult of Bane, a war god. She apparently was forsaken by a goddess after leaving Bane and has since renounced the gods in favor of her own self. She's been through hell and then some, someone I could relate too.

Her features were like Cliffjumper described, a femme of black protoform and blue-green optics. Of course she had a silver and purple scheme, with writing across her body, she had what almost looked like hair, in a red mohawk cut. She had a skirt around her waist and her wheels were located in her heeled peds.

"You are outmatched, Optimus Prime, leave and I may let you live!" Megatron shouted, with a dark smile on his features.

Optimus narrowed his blue optics, "Autobots, retreat." He said with reluctance.

"But Optimus-" Sideswipe whined but I stopped him.

"He is right, we must retreat, it's for our own good." Even though I knew Megatron was right, no way we could win, I still hated it.

A groundbridge opened and we all quickly rushed through. We came back to the otherside with all of us downtrodden at the retreat.

Then a scream yelled, "WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE!?" Ratchet's optics were wide with terror as he pointed to the twins who smirked.

"Nice to see you too, Hatchet."

Miko awed at the new bots, "What's with him? You guys enemies of doc bot?!"

Sideswipe laughed, "Hatchet here is our favorite bot to prank, hence the hello we received from him."

Miko smiled, "I think we can be good friends."

Ratchet then fainted, crashing to the floor.

The twins cackled in laughter as I looked at everyone else who seemed completely normalized to the situation.

I quickly looked up the twins files on the database I had and found a deeper in depth file. Skimming it, I realized in horror something that could make me faint.

They were going to cause trouble...and with Miko who I have heard things…

...This won't end well...

_**A/N: And we are done...hehe, it seems like Cliffjumper and Bulletta finally connected...just not how Bulletta intended. And now the twins are here, with Miko, that'll be fun and we are nearing the end of the first mini arc of the show! Wonder how it'll play out? Well you gotta keep reading! For now, just remember, you can comment or review this story as I read every single one, I always like to see how you guys are enjoying it and sometimes it even inspires me! But, with all that, I hope you enjoy your day, night or whatever and always be awesome, BYE!**_


	7. Bonds between Bots

_**A/N: This is it, the final chapter before the finale of the Darkness Rising episodes, can't wait! I'll let you know the release schedule for the future chapters of both stories in the next chapter but for now, enjoy this little snippets of Bulletta's time with the bots!**_

_Chapter 7-Bonds between Bots_

I drove along the road at a steady pace, with no traffic around me and my tag along we could drive side by side. That being Bumblebee, who decided to come with me when heading out for my first patrol.

"You didn't have to come with me, you know?" I asked.

Bumblebee chirped happily, "_I wanted too, besides, I needed it."_

"Why's that?" I asked giggling to myself at his cheery attitude.

"_I've known the twins for sometime, and I once got caught up in a prank...it didn't end well for me."_ Bee chuckled nervously.

I revved my engines in curiosity, "What happened?"

"_Well...lets just say Optimus does not look good in pink."_ Bee said, snickering to himself.

"W-Wait, you painted him p-pink!" I said cackling.

"_No! I just...gave his door code to the twins. After that I wasn't trusted with that kind of info and...I had to wash the floors with the twins as punishment." _

I kept laughing before coming to stop near a cliff edge, I transformed as I calmed down. Bee transformed beside me, a guilty look on his face.

"Sorry, sorry, I shouldn't be laughing so much." I said apologizing to him.

"_No, it's alright."_ He said rather quickly.

We fell into a small silence, I looked out from the cliff to the maze of mesa's in the desert beyond. The sun was slowly starting to set making the sky ablaze with colors of the coming night.

Looking back to Bee he seemed to be enjoying the sunset, I researched a bit in my Atheneum and it turns out on Cybertron, there was no atmosphere and thus no sunrise or set with amazing color, it was just the inkiness of space with the stars and their sun just another blazing light.

"What's your favorite thing about Earth, Bumblebee?" I asked out of the blue.

He looked surprised before he shrugged it off, "_There's a lot of things that are cool on this planet, it's hard to pick one. But I think my favorite part are the humans."_

I sat on the ledge and he sat next to me.

He explained, "_Humans are so...weird. They aren't united like we were back on Cybertron, from what I've been told, and they have such a unique look on life. I think they have something we Cybertronians don't have, the concept of humanity, of themselves. They are aware of their place in the universe, and they can show compassion even if all hope seems lost."_

"Hmm, very true. I think what I like about the planet is how much yet little it reminds me of home." I said, my tail swished around and it wrapped around my arm as I thought back to home, "I still remember what it was like before...well, that isn't important. What I mean to say is that all of this reminds me of home, even the humans."

Bee looked perplexed, "_I'm not sure I get it, what did the Countless Lands look like?"_

"Well," Something popped up from my Atheneum and I began to recite it, "It's a mixture I suppose, organic and metal molded into one. There were trees, grasses, mountains, valleys, all made of techno-organic materials. Oceans and bodies of water could be found. We even had sky similar to Earth's but with the faint outline of the ceiling of our caverns."

"_But how's that possible?!" _He asked, looking at me like I was a wonderful jewel, it was a nice feeling that came from it.

"The Gods and Goddesses, they were shunted from their realm, a realm similar to this one, filled with organic life. Seeing as we were willing, they made us a land out of the materials they had so that we may praise them." I explained, Bee seemed completely enraptured with the story and I was really happy to entertain him.

"_Wow, that sounds so cool, but you sort of look like us, I mean you are made of pure metal, how could you survive in that world?"_ Asking another thoughtful question.

"Ah, Bee, I didn't always look like this. I was gifted this form after...well, after my death…" I said, my yellow optics hardening as flashes hit me again of the moment.

A servo clasped my shoulder, I looked up to worried sky blue optics. Silently, he encouraged me to go on. With a deep vent, I collected my thoughts and spoke.

"I...was fighting in a great battle...the gods were at war...and I was defending my goddess, Ioun. I remember...losing track of my friends...and of her...then...it appeared...a being made of ice and dark magic...it shot an icy blast from it's hand...it hit me in the chest ...a-and I-I…" Tears were streaming from my optics, I couldn't hold back the flood of stress and fear.

I felt something warm wrapped around me, I knew it was him and I buried myself into his neck cables, sobbing uncontrollable. I don't know how much time passed, it seemed like a blur, but when I grew tired and could no longer cry I checked my internal clock.

8:30 PM, we've been here for several hours.

I opened up my optics and slowly let go of Bee who still held a worried look in his sky blue optics.

"S-Sorry, I didn't-" I was cut off.

_"No, it's alright. I think you needed that."_ Bee said, with what could be described as a genuine smile.

"M-Maybe...I've been told I tend to bottle things up…" I said sheepishly.

He chuckled, _"Clearly they were right."_ He jabbed.

I softly laughed, I now noticed how close I was to him, with his arms still loosely wrapped around me and my tail absent-mindly had found itself wrapped around his torso. I suddenly felt very...weird...I could feel the heat rising throughout my frame and I shuddered slightly, silently my internal cooling systems kicked in and I was suddenly aware that I was producing a soft sound of fans….

...My connections to past events were made quickly, causing the heat to rise faster and my fans to kick in more.

"U-Uh…" Was all I could say.

It seemed to click in his processor at the moment and he quickly let go, my tail retracting immediately and swishing behind me. I could hear his cooling system kick in as well.

"_A-Ah, I'm s-sorry Bulletta! I d-didn't-what I mean is, uh…"_ He trailed off, his excuse lost on his glossa.

"M-Maybe we should r-return to b-base." I said quickly, I stood dusting the sand off of me and transforming, him quickly behind me.

"_Y-Yeah...they might be w-worried…"_ Bee added quickly and we sped down the road in a silence filled with tension.

* * *

"Bulletta, could I have you for a moment?" Ratchet said as I rounded the corner into the main hall.

I looked up at the mech in curiosity, "Is something wrong?" I asked.

"N-No, I just...need your opinion is all." He said, looking nervously around the empty main hall.

I smiled reassuringly, "Of course, Ratchet. What's the matter?"

He motioned for me to follow him, I walked the strange mech into the Med-Bay where he promptly shut the door and locked it. Nervously my tail shifted behind me, twitching for something to happen.

"Tell me, Bulletta, is there a way for you to create a code of some sort to keep would-be hackers from getting into your files?"

I looked at him oddly, "Isn't this a question for Raf, from what Sierra told me his a good hacker."

Ratchet closed his optics and sighed, "This is...out of his depth, what I am asking for only a Cybertronian could do."

I frowned, "But, I'm not a Cybertronian."

"I know, I know. But, this is something only you can do, because you aren't keeping computers out, you are keeping out Cyberology."

"Cyberology, you mean I have to keep literally Cybertronians out of your data?" I was starting to see the picture, even if Ratchet sounded like a maniac.

He began to pace, "Yes, exactly. I don't know what it's like in the Countless Lands but where we are from mechs and femmes can easily hack data and other bots as easily as looking at them. It's a rare trait these days and most pull it off with a direct link from Bot to Computer."

"Okay," I said, "First off, Cyberology I assume is the study of Cybertronian's make-up if I'm correct?" He nodded his head, "Well, I'm not a Cybertronian so you'll need a different word to describe me."

"Do you have one?" He asked, he was definitely studying me while I talked to him.

"Technically, no. But if I were to call it something I would call it the study of Tieflings, so...Fiendology I think is best. Now, back to the subject on hand, who exactly are you trying to keep out?" I asked, in the back of mind I was excited I got to name a new field of science.

"Right, right. Well...to put it plainly I'm trying to keep everyone out, but these days, it's mostly to keep the twins out." He said as he wringed his servos nervously.

"The twins, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. I haven't properly met them yet, but they seem to bring trouble wherever they go. So, what could they possible do with you're data that you are so afraid of?" I asked, leaning against a berth.

He started pacing once more, "That's the issue, it isn't just data but personal data. My own journals of events that have happened since we arrived here. They could blackmail me for all I know o-or use something in their to pull a prank!"

I straightened up and stepped in front of Ratchet, making him stop, "Okay, now I get it. You want to protect your personal data...so what's on there? Gotta crush or some dirty secret?" I teased slightly, he groaned, "Sorry, sorry, couldn't resist, I'll help you though."

He looked surprised, "Really?"

I waved him off, "Yeah, besides, we can't have the twins messing with the computer systems. That would be a disaster waiting to happen."

He seemed to release all of his tension at once, sighing heavily and leaning against a counter like he had just stopped lifting weights.

"Thank you, Bulletta." He said with a tired smile.

"All you need do is ask, Ratchet. And while I'm at it, I'll write a couple of documents on my species as well as some others from the Countless Lands, okay?" I said, patting his slumped shoulders.

He simply nodded and we made our way to the physical dataframe to set up the Cyber-Defense.

* * *

I yawned to myself as I made my way to my quarters, I had just finished my task for Ratchet and was headed for a good long recharge. It felt like an eternity to get to my room but before I could make it I stopped.

Well, more like I ran into something large due to me being so tired.

"Ow." I groaned, rubbing my helm and looking up only to stop.

"Are you alright, Bulletta?" Optimus Prime asked.

I know literally nothing about the mech, heck, I knew more about the twins and I had yet to really interact with them. Optimus Prime was a mystery, one that made me feel like a deer caught in the hunters line of fire.

"I-I'm fine, Optimus. Are you alright?" I asked as he helped me up, me having no choice in the matter as he was way bigger than I was.

A faint smile appeared, "Quite fine, but it seems I need to watch where I'm going." He glanced at a datapad in his other servo.

"N-No, I need to, or I just really need to recharge." I said sheepishly, "What is that anyways?"

Lifting it slightly, he said. "A report to Agent Fowler that I'm about to send, it details recent events while excluding the children. I don't want to tell him over a report about them, I want a face to face meeting about that."

"Right, right. Well, I best get to recharge…" I said, trying to scoot around him.

I managed to get by and was in reach of my door when he asked. "Bulletta, I actually wanted to discuss something with you." I froze, slowly turning to the Prime.

"And that might be?" I asked, nervous of the answer.

"I wish to discuss of your world, if you so wish. And if so, I wish to tell you of ours." He asked, seemingly trying to gently bring it up as to not stirr darker memories.

"You...want to know more about the Countless Lands?" He nodded, "...I would love to tell you about our lands, but, I am exhausted. How about we make a deal, sometime in the future you can call on our little info exchange and I'll drop whatever I am doing and go with you? Does that seem alright?"

He smiled more brightly, something else buried deep inside seemed to surface if only for a moment.

"I accept, Bulletta."

I nodded, "Alrighty then, just let me know when it's time." And with that I headed into my room and crashed.

* * *

I had woken up to a horrible sight, a terrifying sight.

My guns, Betrayer and Veracity, were gone.

MY BABIES WERE GONE!

I ran out of my room, blazing dark fury I hadn't felt in years coursing through my veins. I could hear all the voices of the Autobots and the kids, surprisingly.

Someone must of pick up Sierra for me.

Anyways, back to more important things, like gutting those who took my babies.

I slowed down as I approached the main hall, growling like an animal, my tail violently swishing back and forth, my yellow optics blazing with fury. I stopped near the doorway, cloaked in shadow staring into the room in front of me, everyone was there, including the kids with Miko and the twins snickering to themselves in a corner.

"What are you guys doing?" Bulkhead finally asked, tired of snickering apparently.

Miko giggled, "Oh, nothing. But if you really wanna know, me and the boys did our first prank together."

All the Bots stopped and looked to the three, Arcee asked, "What did you do?"

"Oh it was harmless enough, something small that's not a big deal." Sideswipe said, giggling.

"Guys, seriously, what did you do?!" Cliffjumper asked, afraid of what they may say next.

Sunstreaker smirked, "We may have taken two things and hidden them away."

My optic twitched, my claws flared, my fangs glinted in a snarl.

"YOU!" I growled out.

Bee looked at me, "_Bulletta, are you alright? What did these three do?"_

I stood there, seething in the shadow, before stomping out.

"YOU TOUCHED MY CREATIONS, I'LL GIVE YOU TEN NANO-KLICKS UNTIL I START SUCKING YOUR LIFEFORCE FROM YOUR BODIES UNTIL YOU ARE NOTHING BUT PILES OF SCRAP!" I screamed at them, dark energy rising off of my ashen grey protoform in dark wisps.

Everyone was in complete shock, Miko whisper yelled, "Maybe we should give them back…"

Sideswipe looked to Sunstreaker panicked, "Where did you hide them, Sunny?!"

"10"

"U-Uh, I-I don't remember!" He screamed, trying to remember where it was.

"9"

"Well think harder!" Sideswipe yelled at his brother.

"8"

"Uh, uh…" He gasped suddenly, "I-I remember! Hold on!" He ran off into the halls.

"7"

"SUNNY, HURRY!" His brother yelled, the darkness was colessing around my arms.

_"6"_

Another moment passed, no sign of Sunstreaker.

_"5"_

My optics go completely black as the necrotic energy build up in my frame.

_**"4"**_

"SUNSTREAKER!" Miko yelled, the Bots looked ready to intervene.

**_"3"_**

"Hey, you can't kill a human, it's against the code right?!" Sideswipe asked.

**_"No..I'm gonna kill you, red. 2."_** My voice was low and demonic sounding, I raised my arms, the darkness coming together in a ball of dark energy.

I could hear footfalls getting closer but I ignored it.

_**"1"**_

I was about to fire when Sunstreaker yelled.

"WAIT!" He slid forward, holding delicately in his servos my two guns. He was on his knees, his head bent down holding up the weapons to me.

I gasped, the dark energy dissipating as the necrotic energy became dormant again. My optics returned to normal and I snatched up my babies.

"Oh my darlings, I'll never let any of these barbarians touch you again." I said, cooing over my creations and sitting down on a nearby crate, looking for any imperfections.

After some silence, Optimus spoke. "Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Miko, with me in the Med-Bay, now." He spoke with a commanding voice, all three guilty walked behind him and into the Bay.

"Bulletta?" I looked up at Bulkhead who asked, "What was that?"

"The darkness you mean?" He nodded, "It is my form of Hellish Rebuke, like every other Tiefling we can release a wave of magical energy to damage our foes. Mine just happens to be necrotic, meaning it would steal their life force and kill them by rotting the metal from within."

"Wait, you were going to kill them?!" Cliffjumper asked, terrified.

"If I aimed for the spark, then maybe, I however was aiming for less...killable areas." I said, satisfied with my babies in good condition I put them away.

I stood and Sierra said, "Note to self, never touch your weapons."

"Damn right." I said before turning and walking away.

* * *

I was training in the hall with some melee weapons for a change, I still kept up my original training before I had become a Gunslinger. So, it was like dancing with an old partner, refreshing and nostalgic.

As I trained with a spear a voice caught my attention, "Those are some nice moves you got there."

I looked to the door to see Bulkhead, Cliffjumper and Arcee standing there.

"I may not use melee weapons anymore, but I know how to use them." I said as the entered the arena.

"Does that mean you are rusty?" Arcee asked with a smirk.

"By no means, though, my hand to hand combat could use work. Bee's been teaching me a little." I said, thinking back to when we first met, it brought warm bubbles to my frame.

I shrugged it off as Cliffjumper asked, "You want new sparring partners, Bee's relatively young so we could show you stuff he may not know."

"Hey, I'm young as well I'll have you know." I mocked, Cliffjumper smiled.

"Alright then, one on one?" Bulkhead asked, pounding his fists together.

I smirked, "No, all at once." They seemed shocked.

Cliffjumper asked carefully, "Are you sure, Bulletta?"

"The enemy won't be fair, Cliff, if anyone knows that it's you. No blasters, just melee." I said, switching the spear for a halberd. "Ready when you are…"

Arcee smirked, taking out her wrist blades, "Alright then, game on."

Cliffjumper took a sword as he had no melee weapons and Bulkhead his round hammers. There was a pause, before all three lunged at me at once. Going for Cliffjumper first I blocked his slash and roundhouse kicked him away, I ducked as Bulk went in for a swing before jabbing the end of the halberd under his chin making him stumble back.

Arcee was quicker than I thought, jumping and slashing at my armor, careful to miss the sensitive tires on my back. I turned to meet her head on but she backflip away running in a circle waiting for an opening.

Cliff came back this time ditching the sword in favor of his fists, I swing the halberd around with all my might, smacking him the helm with side of the blade knocking to the side while a charging Bulkhead came at me again.

This time I sidestepped him and slashed his armor in the back with blade, before quickly turning to catch Arcee from slashing my back again. Pushing her back I stabbed forward, she dodged but I kept slashing and stabbing until connection with a stab to her chest armor, pushing her back.

But I was caught off guard when Bulkhead slammed into my back, dazing me for a moment. I could see Cliffjumper running toward me ready to pin me as soon as I hit the ground.

I swung the halberd up making him stop but giving enough time for Arcee to kick the halberd out of my hand and for Bulkhead to pin me to the floor.

"I yield, I yield." I said with a sigh.

Bulkhead got off of me and helped me up.

"Not bad, not bad at all." Cliffjumper said impressed.

"Thanks, even if you lose, you always learn something." I said, something my mentor always told me.

Bulkhead laughed, "I was expecting less but you proved yourself, you were able to take on three and managed well on your own."

"Well, it would've been better with my guns." I said, retreating them from the space off to the side where I had temporarily stored them.

"Clearly needs more work though." Arcee said, retracting her blades with a smile.

"Maybe another day, for now, I'm gonna lay down for a bit." I said before waving at them and walking out.

It seemed like over the course of these days I was getting closer with Team Prime in more ways than one. Maybe after everything in this major event is over I can just hang out with Sierra, wouldn't that be nice?


	8. Eye of the Storm

_**A/N:...my god...over 7,900 words...if I ever beat this amount in upcoming chapters I don't know what I'll do...BUT HEY, WE ARE FINALLY HERE, WE ARE NOW CAUGHT UP WITH BORN ON THE BATTLEFIELD! YEAH! What this means is that I can split my focus of both stories 50/50, which means Born on the Battlefield has a new chapter coming soon! Don't ask when, just be patient. But anyways, this means that the story will now be in tandem together, so if I post one chapter for BOTBF then Ill post another chapter for OSAM! But anyways, lets conclude this beginning chapter...enjoy the show!**_

_Chapter 8-Eye of the Storm_

"So how was school?" I asked Sierra as she got into the passenger side of my alt mode.

"It could've been better, Vince was trying to get me to ride with him again." She said wincing as Vince glared at my form as we left with the others.

"So, this Vince guy, what's up with him?" I asked.

Sierra sighed, staring out the window, "He's in my grade and is the 'top dog' at school, only because his Dad's the local Sheriff which means he gets away with a lot of things. And, now that me and the others have started hanging out I've noticed his a bit of a bully to Raf and Jack."

If my optic could twitch, it would.

"His bullying Raf?" I asked with a low growl.

Sierra seemed slightly frightened at my tone, "Uh, yeah, but please don't go all 'Darkletta' on him, I don't think Optimus would appreciate it."

I stopped my momentary growling to question, "What is 'Darkletta'?"

"Oh," Sierra said sheepishly, "Miko and I came up with it after the whole 'stolen guns' incident, surprisingly Miko is really creative when it comes to names and art. In her own unique way, of course." She cringed slightly, most likely thinking back to something in the past.

"So, you and Miko on good terms?" I asked, curious of how my charge was getting along with others.

"I mean, I don't hate her as much as I thought I did, so, pluses and minuses." Sierra mused. "But Raf and Jack are on the friend radar for sure, I mean, Raf is just so adorable and a genius and Jack...well...I don't know, there's just something different about him…" She trailed off, a serene expression on her face when the topic of Jack came up.

The silence overtook us, my thoughts went back to Bumblebee, how every time I thought about him the same serene feelings also fell on me. Ever since I had arrived he was so welcoming, something a tiefling could appreciate. And, he was a strong warrior even if he was titled a scout, his curiosity was endearing.

But I had to shove those thoughts away as I came into the Base.

I allowed Sierra out and transformed, just as Optimus, Ratchet and Cliffjumper along with the twins looked at us with shock and fear.

"What's wrong?" I asked, as the rest of us noticed the tense and fearful atmosphere.

"What. Is. Going. ON?!" An angered male voice called out, I looked to the source, horrified.

There, standing there with flames burning in his eyes, was Agent Fowler.

...oh-no…

"PRIME!" I cringed as my audio's slightly crackled from the yell, "Why are there children in the base?! I thought we had an agreement!"

The human's eyes were like an inferno burning holes in anything that it's gaze caught. I frowned, is this how all government agents acted in this world?

The Prime took control, "Agent Fowler, a situation came up that we had no control over. The Decepticons know of these humans and unintentionally they were associated to be allied with us, as such we have taken to protecting them from harm."

But it seemed like he would have none of it, "You've crossed the line, Prime! My superiors will hear about this, and as for you four, you are coming with me!" He said, starting to stalking towards the kids.

I along with the others stood in front of the kids, "There staying with us, Fowler. There our charges, not yours." I growled, my yellow optics flashing a warning.

He backed away with a flash of fear crossing his face before the angry inferno returned. He growled walking back to the elevator and before the doors closed on him he said.

"This isn't over." And the doors shut.

An awkward and tense silence held the entire base before Bulkhead asked, "Why was Fowler here?!"

"He came for a...unexpected meeting about my report about recent events. He arrived just before you arrived so we were unable to deter you from entering." Optimus explained.

"Well, now what?" Sunstreaker asked.

Sideswipe then added, "Is he gonna kick us out?"

"I don't know, but I think Optimus can handle this, right?" Ratchet asked.

"I'll see what I can do." The Prime mused before walking off down the halls.

A tapping on my ped made me look down to Sierra who had a worried expression, "Does this mean the government will take us away from you?" She asked.

I looked at her with a hopeful expression, wrapping my tail around her and lifting her to my shoulder, "They'll have to pry you from my cold servos to take you away from me."

Sierra asked, "So, does that mean we are friends?"

I laughed, "Of course Sierra, besides, if I wasn't your friend do you think I would be so kind to you?"

She smiled, "I suppose not. But, I'm glad we are friends, I mean like real ones. The ones at school...they seem so fake, especially since it was my Mother who basically told them to be my friends."

I frowned as I walked to the corner of the room, sitting on a crate. "Wait, your friends were hand picked by your Mother?"

"Yeah, my Mother is very controlling that way. She picked them because they came from well-respected rich families, well, whatever defines being rich in this town." She sighed to herself, her emerald eyes darkened.

I pondered, "So, does that mean that Raf, Miko and Jack are your first human friends?"

She dryly laughed, "I suppose so, never in a million years would I have considered any of them friend material, so, I guess I have you to thank for that."

I smiled, "Glad to help, Sierra, now stop talking to me and go have fun with your other friends. I'm sure they're happy to have you as a friend as you are."

She smiled and nodded, I grabbed her by the tail, walking over and setting her down with the others. They began to chat and welcome her in the conversation. Smiling knowing that she was down the right path more so than before I went to see what the others were up too.

* * *

"We've got a serious problem!" Ratchet called out, gathering everyone's attention, Sunstreaker entering the main hall just as Ratchet spoke up.

"What is it, old friend?" Optimus asked, servo on his shoulder looking at the same screen as he was.

"I am detecting multiple Decepticon signals spreading across the planet, something big is about to go down." He said, his tone becoming dark.

"Cliffjumper, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Ratchet, you are coming with me. We are going to scout out what is going on." The one most surprised about this pick was Ratchet.

Who in turn sputtered, "Wha-ME!?"

Optimus looked to the medic, "There's no time, Ratchet, Arcee man the bridge."

Arcee scowled, "Optimus with all due respect I think we all need to go, besides, Ratchet hasn't been in the field since the war on Cybertron."

"Arcee, with amount of mobilization on the Decepticon part we must act quickly. Now please, the Groundbridge." He asked, her scowl deepened but she said nothing and manned the bridge.

The portal opened wide and Optimus proclaimed, "Autobots, roll out."

Transforming they all sped through the portal as it shut tight after them.

After a few moments of silence I asked, "So, what's on the activities list?"

Arcee huffed, "I'm going for a drive, Bee and Bulk, with me."

I looked surprised at the other two, "B-But what about the Groundbridge, what if they need backup?" I asked as Arcee walked past me.

She looked back with apathy, "Then you man it, Bulletta, come on."

Bulkhead and Bumblebee gave a sympathetic look before transforming and taking off the two-wheeler. Now left all alone at base I looked to the four kids.

"So, now what?" Sierra asked, breaking the silence.

I huffed, "I can't believe they left me here alone, no offence guys, but I've never been the one to...really do well with the whole being left alone."

"That's alright, and besides, you aren't alone. You got us!" Raf said with a sympathetic expression, I smiled a little.

Suddenly an alarm went off, I raced to the computer and detached my fingers to connect to the computer to see what was wrong. Data and coordinates were being fed into my system and optics.

"It's an SOS, from Fowler!" I exclaimed, not believing the inferno of a man in need of our help, _my help._

"Really?!" Miko asked as I looked more into the data before the location vanished.

"Incomplete location scan, this isn't good." I said, detaching from the computer.

"I bet it's Cons!" Sierra said, her emerald eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, but there's nothing we can do." I said with sorrow.

Jack's eyes widened, "Of course there is, we go and rescue him!"

"But, there is no one else here, how am I supposed to rescue him from the Cons!?" I said, beginning to pace as my anxiety welled up.

"There is someone here, that's you! We've seen you in action, you can handle your own!" Raf said, desperation in his eyes.

I sighed, "B-But the location scan was incomplete, how will we find him?!" I asked, Raf smirked at that.

"Easy, there's this article I read once that told of how the US government microchips their agents, like owners do with their pets." He said, grabbing the laptop and beginning to type. "If I can hack into their system I can get his exact location!"

I smiled at the thought, my courage returning to me I headed for the computer and I linked both of them.

"I'll help in that endeavor." I said, and together we began to break into the tracking system the US government had.

"Wait you can really hack into something like that!?" Sierra asked.

Miko added, "Aren't you like 9 or something!?"

I didn't see Raf's expression but he proudly stated, "Actually, I'm 12 and a quarter."

"For someone you're age, Rafael, you surpass anyone's expectations." I said as we finally cracked the safe as it were and got access to the data.

"We're in!" He announced proudly, "Now, for the coordinates. Aha, here they are, got'em Bulletta?"

"Sure did," I typed them into the groundbridge and pulled the level, I looked back to the teenagers, "Uh, Jack, you are in charge!" And I ran through the groundbridge.

* * *

I stepped out of the portal, expecting a canyon due to the coordinates, but instead was greeted by something totally different. Instead of my intended destination, I stood in a spring of sorts. Surrounded on all sides by a tall rising forest with a wall to separate the trees from the spring.

Sitting next to the water with flask in hand was Alchemist Prime, with a table in front of him and strange things scattered on it, he looked up from his work and with a jolly smile said.

"Ah, good you're here. Come, there is something you must know and receive." He beckoned, I walked up to his table with questions running through my helm.

"Alchemist, is this about the coming storm?" I asked, nervous that something may have changed.

"Well, yes and no." He sighed, before putting his drink down. "The event that is coming is indeed upon you. On this day, the world will be put in critical danger and one will lose their life, temporarily."

"Temporarily?" I asked.

"Yes, but they will come back if certain criteria is met. This includes you. I won't lie to you kid, this ain't a cake walk. So, going against my Brothers and Sister's wishes, I'm gonna help you. Hand me you're weapons."

He extended his hands, waiting for the weapons. Trusting in the ancient prime, I placed them in his care. Carefully he took the loading chambers and barrels off before taking a liquid that changed hue every moment or so and dumping it on them before the liquid disappeared. Putting my weapons back together he handed them back before taking another vile and giving it to me.

"Drink this." He said.

I looked at the vile with hesitation, but knowing he wasn't trying to kill me was enough for me to down the entire vile in one gulp. I felt a sudden burst of energy from my very spark and suddenly a new system appeared in my HUD.

"What is...the Pandemonium?" I asked, looking to the Prime.

He smiled, "That new system will allow you to connect to you're weapons as it were. And it allows you to change the type of damage you're weapon dishes out. For instance, say you want to poison an enemy, simply put in a command for poison and the next bullet you fire will poison them. This also means you can never lose your weapons, as you'll instinctively know where they always are."

"I see, I'll have to test that out soon." I said, glancing at my weapons and placing them on my back and leg.

"Now, get going, the battle has just begun." Another groundbridge appeared, waving goodbye, I stepped through and into the real world.

* * *

I stepped out into my intended destination, standing in a rocky canyon, I made my way forward only to round and corner and stopped dead. There, tucked neatly away in the canyon was the warship of the Decepticons, the Nemesis...like the name, hate what it contains.

I ducked behind a large boulder and surmised that I had to sneak aboard somehow. Luckily for me, I was made for stealth.

Suddenly though my spark dropped when I heard a voice call out.

"So, what's the game plan?"

I looked down to my right and there standing there was Miko, the girl who somehow snuck past me into the bridge...wait, was she there for my exchange with the Prime?

"Miko?!" I said as she stood out in the open.

Suddenly, a vehicon saw the small human and shouted, "Halt."

Miko looked up terrified as the Con approached her, growling to myself I ran out body checking the Con to the ground before transforming and scooping up the girl and placing her behind some boulders.

"Stay here." I growled as I turned around and sped at the Con who was slowly getting up I quickly transformed and sucker punched him, just like how be taught me.

But this time he reacted more timely, grabbing me by the shoulders and wrestling me around trying to pin me, knowing I had to end this quickly I looked to Miko.

"Look away Miko!" I shouted as I prepared myself.

"What, why?" She asked, annoyed I shouted again.

"Close your eyes Miko!" I really didn't want this kid seeing this.

Hoping she did as I told her I wrenched the Cons servos into one hand before Quick Drawing my pistol and point blank aiming for the head, wanting to test out my new system I commanded in a whisper.

**'_Force.'_** And I fired, the shot was more fast and heavy, travelling into the helm of the Con before exploding the entire helm in a wave of magical force leaving nothing but a stump in its place.

I ducked behind the boulder with Miko but not before hearing a faint, "Woah." from Miko.

"What were you thinking Miko?!" I asked with a scowl.

"Uh, duh! Can't let you go alone!" She said as if it were perfect logic, "And besides, I haven't seen you fight unlike the other guys and they were right, you are awesome in battle!"

I sighed, I knew I was in over my helm so I decided to contact the others.

What I received was a myriad of what's and angry growls. But they said they were on their way.

"Now, we wait." I said before suddenly the Groundbridge came back just as I heard Vehicons approaching. "Finally." But I stopped when three small human figures stepped through all disorientated from the trip.

"Let's never do that again." Jack panted.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Sierra said, leaning over.

Suddenly the Vehicons took note of the three and pointed their weapons.

"Son of a…" I trailed off, quickly pulling out Betrayer.

**'_Lightning.' _**I whispered and fired again, this time a bolt of electrical energy shot at the two hitting the first in the helm then going into their friend and making them drop like rocks after shaking from the lightning attack.

The kids ran up to me and I asked, "What are you doing here?!" as suddenly a folly of fire came from the ship's crew who finally took notice.

"We were worried about Miko!" Sierra said with a slight glare, I sighed.

"Just...stay here, please!" I said before quickly transforming and driving around the rock towards the ship avoiding the shots, the Cons had horrible aim.

I transformed back and jumped into the air, catching the side of the ship before parkouring my way up towards the flight deck and landing with Veracity out once more. Quickly I took shots at the closest ones, not enough time to say my commands, so it took a little more the offline them all.

I danced between them, flipping over on as I shot him down on top of his head before wrapping my tail around another making him fall to the floor before I shot him in the face.

I vented as all the Cons laid dead at my feet. I looked back to where the kids were only to see three figures.

"Wait, where's Sierra?" I asked, suddenly I felt something hit me on the inside, opening slightly my chest in a space where my spark was held, Sierra popped out looking sick.

"I threw up a little on your floor mat, sorry." She said as I grabbed her and placed her down, looking like she was about to throw up again.

"Sierra!? What-" I was cut off by another pair of Cons appearing on the deck.

Sierra squeaked in terror, looking to my left I grabbed the radio dish and with unexpected strength at seeing my charge in danger I ripped it from it's post and Frisbee it into both of them. I scooped up the girl and headed for the door.

"What about the others?" She asked as I opened to door with a well placed shot from Veracity.

"If they stay put, they'll be fine." I said, entering the bowels of the Nemesis.

* * *

"Why did you do that?" I asked Sierra as my quiet ped falls carried us through the ship, my Veracity out while my tail held the girl so that I could aim with two hands.

"I...was worried about you." She said sheepishly.

I looked to her, "I can handle my own in a fight."

"Not that, I know you don't like being alone even before you told us that." She said.

"How?" I asked.

She shrugged, "I just noticed that you tend to be with someone no matter what, and if you are alone you busy yourself so that you don't notice you are alone."

I sighed, "Guess you have a point, I really am an open book." Grimacing at the natural flaw.

"Hey, that's okay. Everyone's got their thing, like for instance, I don't like being the center of attention." That surprised me. "My Mother may want me in the spotlight, but I don't like it, ever."

"I see," I said before quieting down the check the hall I was about to enter. "So, why is your Mother like that?"

"I honestly think is because she was entitled growing up. She's never worked a day in her life and honestly, I don't think she can." She giggled to herself, most likely imagining something along the lines of her Mother actually working at a job.

I smiled, "Well then, maybe it's time you stood up for what you believe in, Sierra." I said, encouraging her train of thought.

"Maybe…" She whispered.

There was tense quiet as we made our way further in, I suddenly heard ped falls approaching another corner, reading my pistol I quickly turned the corner only to see Arcee pointing her guns at me.

"Friendly!" She yelled while I yelled, "Hello!"

Our weapons were temporarily put away as Bulkhead asked, "Raiding the Nemesis wasn't on the activities list." Sarcasm dripping from him.

"Hey! You get them to stay behind!" I said with a playful growl.

Bumblebee then said, "So, now all we have to do is find Fowler."

I noticed the kids with the others, making me wonder how they got in.

They looked at each other and the three said in unison, "He's in the brig."

We hurried our way down the halls of the Nemesis, I was surprised we didn't meet any resistance up until now. I wondered how many were sent off ship for the big event? Of course I was about to eat my words.

Rounding the corner was a troop of vehicons.

We stopped in our tracks, seeing as the only way was through we drew our weapons, each of us who had one human skidded them on the floor past the vehicons who were momentarily distracted. I fired my Veracity at one, knocking it off it's peds before curb stomping his head.

The others fired and battled their way through, I noticed the kids were having trouble staying out of the way. I made my way towards them, firing volleys as I went, crippling some or just annoying them. I stood in front of them, knocking a blown helm off away from the kids with a kick.

Soon, the battle was over and we quickly scooped up the kids and started running again. They seemed disoriented and I looked up ahead to see a room with a vehicon coming out of it. I shot him in the helm, with a whisper of '_Force.' _as his helm blew off.

We entered the room, with Arcee saying, "Stay here." As the kids were lowered to ground.

Jack looked up in surprise, "Wait, you are leaving us here!?"

"Yeah, why aren't we taking them with us?" Bulkhead asked.

"They'll be safer here, Bulk. This is a war-zone, it's not meant for children." I said, clearly seeing that Raf was having a difficult time with the stress of it all.

"_Are you sure?" _Bee asked.

I nodded and looked back, "Stay out of sight, we'll be back soon."

And with that we left the room, closing the door behind us. I hope they'll be okay.

We ran down the hall, making our way to the brig. But I suddenly stopped when my sensitive audio's picked up something.

"_What's wrong, 'Letta?" _Bee asked, knowing I only stopped when I heard something.

There, the sounds of...shouts! From Sierra! And the kids!

"They're in danger!" I shouted, turning back and heading for the room where we left them, I knew we shouldn't have left them like that! Ah, I'm so stupid.

I burst through the door to see a lone Con standing their, with Sierra in it's hand._** 'Necrotic.'** _I hissed and fired. The shot hit the Con in the chest where the spark was and suddenly the metal blackened and rusted, falling away as it decayed, the Con screamed in agony before the black bullet's energy pierced it spark and snuffed it out.

Sierra fell from his grasp and I snapped her out of the air with my tail.

"Are you alright?" I asked, worry coursing through me.

She nodded, a little shaken. "We need to take them with us, I'll watch them while you go ahead." I said, my voice filled with authority. The others seemed to agree and we headed out again, this time with the children held tightly in my tail's grip.

We ran for some time only to arrive at our destination. More Cons guarded the brig, the three Bots charged the Cons, easily taking them out with their blaster fire while I kept the children safe. After they were all dead, Arcee crawled her way up into a ventilation shaft and we awaited the agreed time to enter.

It came and the mechs burst through the door holding a vehicon before dropping it, only to find the room empty but for the battered and bloodied Fowler hanging from the chains attached to the ceiling.

"Fowler! Are you okay?" Bulkhead asked, Arcee jumping down from the shaft above looking to the chains. There was a small grunt from the man.

"Bad question, 'Bulk." Arcee groaned out as she undid his bindings.

Bee sighed, _"Finally, we can get out of here!"_

I rolled my optics, "First we need to get out with the kids and Fowler in one piece, no celebrating yet. Soon, but not yet." I said with a soft tone, he looked away fans kicking in, mine silently as well.

"So, who roughed you up, Fowler?" Miko asked as Fowler was handed to Bulkhead

"There's no time, we need to get going." Arcee said, seemingly feeling uneasy in the room. We all transformed, the kids piling into Bulkhead to help with Fowler who seemed really out of it.

We sped off down the hall, racing towards the exit we came in from. I felt like we could really pull this off, that maybe I really could make a difference. Then, I heard it. An engine belonging to another motorcycle approaching from behind.

My rear views caught sight of the bike, it's colors and form resembling that of Moonfall, the otherworlder like myself. The 1942 Harley-Davidson WLA was gaining on us.

Bee also saw our unwanted guest, "_Who is that?!"_ He yelled.

Arcee bellowed, "Don't know, don't care, let's move quickly!" She led the pack, making a sharp turn that was hard to deal with but we managed, and so did Moonfall.

Bulkhead groaned, "Can't we seriously lose this guy?!"

That seemed to get a reaction from Moonfall herself as she shouted back, "Not a guy, 'Giantcrusher!"

"Hey!" Bulkhead yelled back, seemingly offended.

I kept my optic on her, she drew closer and suddenly there was a shimmering on top of her alt mode and a holoform appeared riding on it. It was definitely a Fetchling, the dark shadow like skin and the blue-green glowing eyes. Red hair short and pushed back, the same silver and purple armor from before with a black cloak and a sword and shield on her.

It seemed like she was a Fighter type, but how does she think she'll stop us with a sword and shield?

My answer came to me unbidden, as she began to chant something and a wicked glyph appeared, purple electricity running up the arm of the holoform.

I realized in horror she was a special type of Fighter, an Eldritch Knight. A fighter who could use swords just as well as spells too.

She fired a bolt of wicked lightning towards Arcee, just missing her but enough it the blue and pink two wheeler that she hissed in pain.

Moonfall kept firing even with the glyph now faded, it seemed we were at the mercy of a Witchbolt spell. She was relentless, firing as much as she could. My annoyance climbed to the point where I could no longer take it. Suddenly, a system confirmation pop up came up, letting it go ahead, suddenly a felt a new system activate.

My focus was now split as now MY holoform formed, standing on the roof of my car. My ashen grey skin returned and my white hair remaining in my bun. My black jacket and red leathers in place with my red gloves and black shoes. My tail whipping against the wind and my horns where they were meant to be.

My yellow cat like eyes opened, I growled, taking out Veracity, the same version as I have now. How I caught it this small is beyond me. And I aimed at her headlight, her shock evident on her young holoform's face.

**'_Cold.' _**I whispered and fired, hitting the light and coating it in a layer of ice, she lost some speed and skidded slightly, allowing us to gain distance. She kept following even after that shot, but we made it to the deck.

Deactivating the holoform we transformed, jumping down and off the ship before transforming back and riding our way to freedom.

* * *

"What happened to you guys?" Sideswipe asked as we all rested and got repaired by Ratchet.

I growled, "We saved Fowler's butt from the Decepticon warship, that's what."

"Bulletta," Optimus commanded voice froze me, "You exercised poor judgement with bringing the children along."

I only sat there, staring at the Prime in slight shock, I was being...reprimanded. I hung my helm low.

"It won't happen again, Optimus." I whispered, but Sierra interrupted.

"It wasn't her fault!" She yelled out, catching our attention.

"Yeah! And besides, recon!" Miko said holding up her phone.

Optimus bent down to see it, "Ratchet, take a look at this, it might be important."

Ratchet huffed, making his way toward Miko, he looked down at the phone in confusion. 'I don't understand…"

Miko looked at her phone and giggled, "Whoops, that's the Con who almost squished Sierra, before Bulletta smeared his head against the wall!"

Jack snapped, "Miko, this isn't a game! When are you going to get that through your thick head!? Sierra almost died out there and you think it's a fun and games?!"

"Jack, we all almost died, you , me, the Bots, EVERYONE!" Miko said, narrowing her eyes in frustration.

"Well then I want no part in it." His words were cold, stinging worse than anything felt before.

"Jack?" Sierra asked, almost a hurt tone in her voice.

"I can't be here, I can't watch any of you get hurt. But you can also come with me?" He asked, trying to extend his train of thought to the others.

Miko simply turned away, Raf looked to Bee then back to Jack, "I'll see you at school." He said.

Finally he turned his head to Sierra, her green eyes landed on me, looking for answers. I...couldn't bring myself to look at her, feeling guilt welling up for putting her in such danger, for putting them all in danger.

After a brief pause, Sierra said. "I'm going to stay, Jack, I'm...sorry."

He seemed heartbroken at her staying but simply nodded and headed to the ground floor, the groundbridge came to life and Ratchet muttered.

"Here's the exit, no use in long goodbyes."

I glared at the medic behind his back, but couldn't bring myself to say anything. Arcee walked up to Jack with a sad smile.

"I know, I know, you don't exist." Jack said with an unknown expression.

She crossed her arms, "Don't make me hunt you down." She said, her tone almost a sad harmony.

With that, Jack walked through the Groundbridge, and out of Team Prime's lives.

It has been sometime since Jack left, and I felt like the one who took it the hardest was Arcee and Sierra. Why Arcee was taking harder was unknown fact for me, but for Sierra, I could understand. She just became friends with him, and maybe liked him more than just as they were, and she lost him.

I couldn't ever imagine Bumblebee doing that to me ...wait, what am I saying?! Do...I really think of Bee that way? I looked over to said mech who was trying and failing to keep Arcee from pacing. Looking dejected that it wasn't working he looked to me, I quickly looked away, feeling my cooling systems kick in again.

Finally, Miko huffed, "Alright, that's it. I'm gonna talk with him!"

"Are you sure Miko?" I asked, looking to Sierra who seemed like she wanted to go as well.

"Positive, Bulk, let's roll!" She commanded, shrugging her partner transformed and the pair shot out of the base.

I sighed to myself, this wasn't at like I thought it was going. Everything seemed like a mess and we were still in the dark about what the Cons were actually doing. To top it off, someone wasn't going to walk away from this, well, not right away. According to the ancient Prime, it was temporary. But how was that possible?

"You seem like you have a lot on your mind?" Cliffjumper asked quietly.

"No, really?" I said sarcastically, "Sorry, it's just...today's the day, the big event is here and I have no idea what to expect."

He frowned, "Well, whatever is thrown at us, Team Prime can get through it, no problem!" He said patting my shoulder.

We were silent for a moment before I noticed Arcee talking to Sierra, I boosted my audios.

"-isten to you, so what do you say?" Arcee asked, looking hopeful at the young teen.

"Alright, let's do it." She agreed, suddenly Arcee transformed and Sierra hoped on before speeding off.

"What the…." I asked, Cliff followed my line of sight and gave a small smile.

"Seems like Bulk and Miko are taking too long."

I hope they know what they are doing.

* * *

"Optimus, I've decoded the plans from the Nemesis." Ratchet called out, Bulkhead had just returned with a grumpy Miko.

I walked over the gathered bots, minus Arcee and Jack.

"They are plans for an invasion, Optimus. One big enough to take the planet, and they are using a Space Bridge to do it. I've taken the liberty of tracking the bridge down and I've located it, high in Earth's orbit." Ratchet said, turning to us with dejected expression.

"Out of our reach." Optimus mused.

"So, how do we stop this?" I asked, worried about the answer.

"There's only one option…" Optimus said, staring at the Groundbridge.

"Optimus! That is impossible!" Ratchet said staring wide-eyed at our leader.

"Why's that?" Raf asked, curious as ever.

"The Groundbridge has limited range, if it were stretched to such extremes as Optimus wants, the vortex tunnel could snap and scatter us to the stars." Ratchet explained.

But Optimus was resolute in his decision, "We have no other option at this moment, Ratchet. We must go forward, the planet Earth depends on it."

At that moment Arcee returned with Jack and Sierra, coming to stop Jack took his helmet off and looked up, "Guess who's back?" He said.

"Autobots, prepare to roll out." Optimus said, almost likely ignoring the boy.

Sierra looked questioningly to me, "Where are you going?"

Miko answered for me, "The final frontier."

Jack sputtered, "B-But I thought they didn't have a way to get there?!"

Bumblebee put Raf down as the kid said, "They don't, really."

Jack looked up to Arcee with a small smile, "Be safe."

She nodded and walked towards the group, Bulkhead pointedly looked at Miko. "Don't follow us this time."

"Kick some Con butt, Bulk!" She said, hopefully the warning getting through to her.

I looked to Sierra who ran up to my ped, "Come back alright, I don't need to lose my first real friend."

I wrapped my tail around her in a pseudo-hug and said, "I promise."

I let her go, gathering with everyone. A glare was sent my way by way of Sunstreaker who I still had yet to speak to him and his brother about the whole 'prank' from earlier, a later task.

The Groundbridge fired up into existence, this was it, the finale was here. And as I stared into that portal, I smiled, feeling the warmth of two arms invisible on my shoulders and a whisper only I could hear, of a warm materially voice.

"_Open your eyes, my child, and bring sense to this senseless world__." _

* * *

"Maximum Overdrive!" Optimus shouted as we climbed through the vortex, we boosted our speed heading for the light at the end of the tunnel, but still holding our breath to see if it snapped on us.

We burst out of the portal flying towards a large metal ring with what looked like rocks around it.

"Autobots, magnetize." He ordered, each of us coming to land on the ring as our peds magnetically coming to the metallic surface.

"Woah!" Bulkhead said as he made a rough landing.

The twins snickered, "Don't look down Bulk, or up, or...anywhere!" They said in an uncanny unison.

He growled at them but I ignored them as I looked down at the world, the blue and green planet like a jewel against the blackness of space. The glowing moon far off, farther than I could've ever have known, I smiled at my namesake.

But, the quiet was shattered as the Nemesis came into view in front of the Space bridge.

"Looks like we got company." Cliffjumper growled.

I frowned at the ship, "What's the plan, Prime?" I asked.

Standing in front of us all his battle mask slipped over his face, "Since we have no way of deactivating this bridge, nothing gets in or out!"

We pulled our weapons and got into a battle stance, ready for anything.

But, as we waited and waited, nothing happened. This was worrying, what were the Decepticons waiting for? Had something happened? Was this all a ploy or part of the plan?

"What are they waiting for?" Arcee asked the question on everyone's mind.

Narrowing his optics, Optimus stared at the warship before replying, "It seems their navigation antenna has been compromised."

I realized what he meant instantly, "Huh, that's my handy work!" I said.

Optimus looked to me with pride, "Good work, Bulletta, without the dish they will be unable to lock onto Cybertron."

I felt my spark swell with the same pride he showed me, it made my earlier mistake fade to the background. But, then a question arose from this clear answer.

"Then, why are they here?" Bulkhead asked.

Sideswipe said, "Maybe they have another antenna?"

Sunstreaker adding, "Maybe even not on the ship itself."

A static ran through my audio as Ratchet cut in on the Comm. "**Impossible, where on Earth could they find a powerful enough dish to pinpoint Cybertron!?" **

Then unexpectedly, Raf's voice picked up on the Comm. "**How about a whole bunch of them, like the Array in Texas?" **

"Excellent idea, Rafael." Optimus commended the human, "Ratchet, have Agent Fowler notify the staff of the danger."

There was something shouted in the background, I was unable to discern what is was but Sierra chimed, "**That may be a problem…"**

"Rafael, can you hack it?" I asked, hopeful the boy could do this on his own.

A slamming sound could be heard, "**I can't break through the firewalls!"**

I sighed, no luck, but then I heard Jack ask, "**Wait, Raf, what if we got you in, like all the way in!"**

I realized where they were going with this and so did Ratchet, "**It's too dangerous, there maybe Decepticons on sight!"**

Miko then called out, "**This isn't about us, Ratchet! This is the whole world that is in danger!"**

"**Miko's right, surprisingly, billions of lives are at stake. The bots have done so much for us, so why can't we help as well? This is our home after all!" **Sierra said, speaking with a passion that made me smile even in these dark and tense times.

"Rafael?" Optimus asked, we waited for an answer before the answer came.

"**I wanna give it a shot!"** The others cheered him on, Ratchet sighed but seemed to coincide to the plan.

While we waited for the kids to get into position I wondered to myself, who was fated to make the ultimate sacrifice? My mind went through every possibility, every outcome, and I couldn't come up with an answer. It could be anyone, on either side.

I felt the worlds weighing on my shoulders, it pained me to know that someone would be lost, no matter who it could be. Then, I felt a pang in my spark, and it was directed towards the ship. Looking back to the dark ship I scanned the deck and I saw figures standing there, Megatron easily standing out.

But, there next to the massive mech was where my spark pointed to, Moonfall.

Understanding struck me, the weight of the worlds turned into the weight of countless universes.

It was her, somehow.

And I felt immense guilt and grief for someone I barely knew, who I fought against. I almost felt like a traitor, but I remembered in reality we are trying to achieve the same goal, to end the war. Not by bloodshed, but by other means, whatever they may be.

_'**...I'm sorry…' **_I whispered.

"_What was that?"_ Bumblebee asked, as suddenly everyone's attention was on me.

"Yeah...it sounded...harsh." Cliffjumper added, what he said was true. The language wasn't graceful but a harsh and 'evil' I suppose sounding words.

"It is the native tongue of the creatures that I inherited my fiendish features, the language of Devil's who reside in the Nine Hells, Infernal." I said, brushing it off like it was nothing and really, it wasn't. They're many languages of my home, Abyssal is the language of Demons, Celestial of the Gods and celestial creatures and so on and so forth.

They seemed to drop it, all but Bumblebee who was curious,_ "Do you know any other language?"_

"The one I speak to you now, Common." I said, before he could ask more though the entire bridge shifted beneath us as it got ready to get into position.

"It's starting…" Arcee growled at the ship.

The bridge locked into place, ready to make a portal to Cybertron, but then it shifted away. I knew this was the work of the kids, I just hope they were safe. But it shifted back to its original state only for it to derail. This back and forth went on for a bit before finally stopping on the needed direction for the Decepticons.

The portal sprang to life in a torrent of colors and power, there, in the distance a large invading force launching from the dead world, shooting out and above the portal was a Decepticon, one I assumed that developed the armies that now approach.

It was at this time that the warlord began to approach us rapidly.

"**Optimus, we may have a way to take down the bridge, but, do we follow through? This is our only chance to see our home again." **Ratchet asked through the Comms.

The Prime's optics narrowed at the approaching evil, "To save this world, it must be done."

"**Then let us alight our darkest hour!" **He cried through the Comm, temporarily cutting it off.

"Autobots, follow Ratchet's instructions, while I finish what must end." Everyone nodded and began running, being directed by Ratchet, but I blocked the medic out as I hesitated for one moment.

With a sigh, I followed the others as the two titans finally met and the clashing swords and blasters could be heard. I caught up with the others who had taken a panel out, with Arcee follow the medic's instructions.

"**-do you see a valve?" **He asked, me trying to catch up in the conversation.

There in the mess of internals of the Space bridge was a large valve, Arcee smiled when she saw it.

"See it!" She grabbed it but had a hard time pulling it in reverse so before any mech could step in I grabbed it with her...femme power...anyways, we manged to reverse...whatever we were reversing.

"Current reversed!" Arcee announced and a cheer came through the Comms.

Suddenly, panels began to raise as blue electricity crackled out of them. A growing whirring coming from the machine. A transforming sequence alerted me to Cons approaching, I turned to see Eradicons approaching fast, firing at us.

I pulled Veracity and began to fire, my survival skills kicking in and suddenly the world went quiet as adrenaline pumped through my entire body as some shots got to close for comfort. I saw others making their way to the edge, seeing a Groundbridge opening in space, everything was silent as I ran.

I ran farther ahead, wanting to make it into the portal so that my hearing could come back when the adrenaline would drain from my body.

CRACK!

Sharp pain thundered throughout my frame as a bolt hit me square in the back, and knocking me into a free floating state, just above the bridge. As my optics flickered I saw Megatron yelling at a fleeing Optimus, before something blasted into his back.

And standing there, watching as the warlord moved away from the bridge to safety...was Moonfall. She teleported to the center of the portal, staring with a sadness and comfort towards the ship.

As the darkness took my form, I could hear a whisper of a promise...and the screams of mechs calling for their master...and their friend… before an explosion tore space, erasing the femme that held Dark Energon within her very spark.

…

…

…

"_Moon? What a wonderful name…"_

"_**...Where did I come from, Hamilton?"**_

"_AHH, GET AWAY YOU-YOU DEVIL!"_

"_How did you get into a secure mansion like that?"_

"_You have potential, my dear."_

"_**...Are you there, Ioun?"**_

"_Your creations, they can be so much more with magic…"_

"_..Magic is a cheap trick…"_

"_**...My name is Moon Nemesis, what's yours?"**_

"_This can change everything…"_

"_WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?!"_

"_**Ioun...Brutus...Ziz...I'm sorry…"**_

"_...MOON! NOO!..."_

"_...don't leave me here, please…"_

"_...wake up…"_

"_Wake up...please..."_

"_WAKE UP BULLETTA!" _

I gasped as I came back into the world of the living, there was a sigh of relief and I looked down to see Sierra, tears streaking down her face as she held or well tired, my servo.

"Sierra…?" I asked, my voice weak and pained as bolts of pain went up and down my spine.

"Thank Primus you are alright." Ratchet said who was next to Sierra, a tired but happy expression on his face.

"...How..did I get here?" I asked, feeling strangely comfortable in whatever I was on.

"That would be thanks to the mech who carried you through the Groundbridge." Cliffjumper said with a playful smirk.

Confused I looked to see who held me only to stop and stare, straight into Bumblebee's sky blue optics.

My spark swelled with overwhelming emotions as my cooling systems once again kicked in.

"B-Bumblebee..?!" I squeaked out.

"_Are you..alright?"_ He asked, seemingly as nervous and uncomfortable as I was.

"I-I'm f-fine...uh, c-can you put m-me down?" I asked, stumbling over my words.

"R-Right, of course." He said quickly, putting me back on my peds.

I was still unsteady on them though but he kept hold of my arm to keep me steady, which wasn't helping my racing spark at the moment.

Luckily, the focus that had been turned on me was turned to Miko as she suddenly asked. "So is this the part were we say goodbye and never get to see you again?" There was a sadness to her tone.

Optimus gave a slight smile, "_Without a means of leaving this world, we Autobots take strength in the bonds we have forged with our four young friends - true warriors. If not in body, then in spirit. And our new companion not of our own home. My name is Optimus Prime, and I send this message. Though we did not choose to be of Earth, it would seem that we are here to stay. If you approach this planet with hostile intent, know this: We will defend ourselves. We will defend humanity. We will defend... our home."_


	9. Wanted Endings, Desired Beginnings

_**A/N: And we are getting to meet a new character entering the Autobot side! Woah! I was particularly excited for this one she is one of my favorites to write for. Also I'll be posting bio's and stuff on my profile for this story and some other stories I got so keep an eye on that! Anyways, next chapter will see the events of Masters and Students as well as some time before that episode, but enjoy the introduction to the newest Autobot!**_

_Chapter 9-Wanted Endings, Desired Beginnings_

_? POV_

"What price are you willing to pay?" I mumbled to myself the question, it's a question I've always been asked and have asked.

The last time that question hung in the air was the last time I saw combat. And that was 5 years ago, during a time when my newly found party and I traveled the world together, in search of monsters and loot. Now, they've settled, to rule the newly freed Kingdom of Barovia from the clutches of a vampire count.

Of course I've settled as well, becoming the first Headmaster of the Ravenloft Academy and the Royal Archmage of the Barovian Council. Being the head of school for magic and sitting on the Barovian Council is tougher than I could've realized and it has run me down ragged at points.

But, the one thing that's freshened up my life once in awhile, where my other...hobbies. Not only do I further research and study in my own school of magic, but I am sent out by the King himself for...diplomatic missions. Such missions that his regular diplomats couldn't complete for him.

Truth be told, some question if they just replaced a bloodthirsty tyrant for another, although he literally doesn't crave blood unlike his previous vampiric predecessor.

The reasoning is quick frank, ever since he came to power he's being establishing Barovia as a country not to be messed with. Through sheer diplomatic power he has conquered many smaller countries in expanding our own. Nine times out of ten, his usual diplomats can pull these feats off, but the ten percent of the other times...well my services are called in.

I may be a highly respected, intelligent wizard of the arcane, but even I have..._needs_. I may dress in black, be of the taller and stronger races, but even I like to feel _pleasure_ from time to time, and what better way going about it then being productive at the same time!

Anyways, that's just some of the things I did to pass the time as the years went on. But now, it is no longer enough.

Nothing I do, no matter what, satisfies the hunger growing within me.

The darkness...the power, it beckons to be unleashed in its full glory.

I've done all that I can in this universe, this kingdom is at its height, my friends have settled with families. Even my King, my friend who I spoke most too, was beginning to stagnate in his conquests at his older age. The people around me bore me, and they age, while I do not.

As the Headmaster of a school for mages and as the Archmage to the King himself, I've found ways to put off my demise.

After all, it's the School of Necromancy's thing, to control death and undeath.

And yes, I am a Necromancer, some may say it's an evil practice but I beg to differ, it's what you do with said power that really matters.

That power, it wishes to be released in full, not just in little burst as I have for several years. I have wasted this world, I have seen all it can offer, all it can be. It's time for something new, refreshing, _thrilling._

So, in secret, deep within the twisting bowels of Ravenloft Castle, I began to experiment with a magic mirror I had discovered on one of my diplomatic missions. It said to reveal other worlds, different planes of existence, like the Astral Sea, or the Nine Hells and so on and so forth.

But I wanted to push it beyond that, push beyond the unknown planes beyond the boundaries of what we knew. To break into another universe itself. And to make that portal more than I spying glass but a portal to take me there.

That is when I met someone...strange.

A being of metal with no lower half but floating tendrils of metal, and a mask covering all but it's green glowing eyes. He told me of another universe, far beyond my own, and he wanted me to come and aid him.

It was an interesting offer, one that seemed too good to be true.

So, over the months we talked, shared things about our own works and our worlds. He told me of his, his descendants at war for centuries and of others, like me, who were helping to end the carnage. It seemed there was no set plan on how to end the war, the Primes just wanted it done.

As he spoke of his world, I also spoke of mine, how I came from an unlikely beginning in the mountains, living in a tribe of Goliath raiders, being the outcast of my own people...well, lets not get into that well of secrets just yet.

As we talked over those months a connection was formed, one of a colleague who was just as interesting in life and death as I was, someone I could finally relate too.

Finally, I made up my mind.

It was time for a fresh start, one not on this world or any, but in a new universe with new goals.

This also meant I could study his people biology, they were so interesting, including their legends of the afterlife and death.

There was only one problem, I had to die in order for it to work.

Well, it really wasn't a problem, but I still had to die, somehow.

The easiest solution we came up with was simple, since Ravenloft was perched high on a mountain top, the edges of the castle, it's defensive walls were built right into the cliffs of the mountain and it was a long drop to the valley below.

Climbing to the wall I looked to see if the guard was to be seen anywhere, clear for now I looked down at my doom below. The day was dark, an overcast day with lightning striking through the clouds as rain began to pelt down on me.

It didn't faze me though.

I stood their, smelling the ozone and rain, my black dreaded hair drenched and waving the wind, my black dress soaked and heavy, my cloak also damp. My corset becoming tighter at becoming wet, my black spellbook hooked to my belt.

I closed my light violet eyes, my white skin that held black tattoos of arcane runes didn't sting at the cold or the rain.

I pulled in a breath, stepping onto the edge.

Smiling I opened my eyes, raised my arms and took a step, off the wall.

My smile grew wider as I fell, looking back up at the disappearing walls of Ravenloft with satisfaction...until I hit something hard and felt my back break as I became impaled on a jagged rock.

The world faded into pain and numbness, I smiled the whole way through, savoring the pain for but a moment until I felt death's claws snatch my soul.

I was the first Headmaster of Ravenloft Academy and the Royal Archmage of the Barovian Council.

I was the Goliath Wizard of Necromancy and a member of Dragonslayers.

I was Fraya Stormbringer...and I am dead...but not for long.

* * *

I gasped or more like-vented. My optics flashed anew as they stared up at the night sky. I stared at the beautiful wonders in the sky, remembering as a child staring at them, before bringing myself to reality.

Sitting up, I now look to see I lay on a raised platform, a table made of stone. The cavern walls were dark, made of some type of volcanic rock. There was a large hole that led to the surface above the table, allowing moonlight and starlight in, above the hole was thick jungle with barely enough room at the top of the canopy to let light in.

Around me surprisingly was my old equipment but more advanced, microscopes, centrifuges, chemistry equipment etc. It would help with the study of Cyberology. Also I had access to new equipment, a computer that was already hacked into the Autobot database and Decepticon servers.

I smiled as the torches alight with purple flames, alighting the whole of the chamber. There were other tunnels that led off into other areas, each I knew what held.

Before I had died, I had discussed with Quintus Prime about setting up my own research base. So as to not be interrupted by the team I chose to sign up with, the Autobots.

So the other tunnels led to a chamber holding several tubes big enough to hold the biggest of Bots and Cons, another held a pool of goats blood which is one way I stay so young, another held personal bedchambers and the last one led to a study.

The only way out of this place was by personal groundbridge, to which the device was held in my sub-space.

Near the computer was the same mirror I conversed with Quintus Prime, I got off the slab and walked over to it to inspect my new form.

I was a very tall femme, I surmised I was the same height as Optimus Prime. My protoform was the same white with black runes tattooed down my face crossing my light violet optics and down my neck going under my dress. My face was crested by 'headphones' like audios with a band of metal sticking up. Black cords hanging from my helm.

The dress had two parts, the dress and the cloak.

Cloak was held to me by a clasp in the front of the eclipsed sun, with metal going around my shoulders, the cloak hanging from the back, purple in color. The dress was under a metallic version of my white and gold corset, with a deep V black dress made of a soft metallic metal.

A triple moon lay on top of my wrist and on my hip was my spellbook.

Not to far away was my staff with the same triple moon on top of it with the crests floating next to an eclipsed moon.

"Hm, I can definitely work with this…" I hummed to myself as I turned in the mirror, I also took note that my HUD made it very clear that I was unable to transform, something I did want to have.

Magic was much better than transforming, so I opted not to be able to transform.

Smirking with sharp teeth and brushing my cords away with my claws I walked over to the staff and grabbed it. Walking to the computer I began to access the Autobot bases camera systems, I smiled as I easily got in and began sifting through the feeds before landing in the main hall.

With no audio I had no idea what they were saying, but the humans were talking to the medic, mostly disheartened but for the girl my system identified as Sierra. It seemed what they said made the medic slightly angry and made him stomp off, with the others snickering to themselves at something being said by the others.

Sighing, I turned off the computer, the sun light now cresting into the room.

_"So, my chosen, how has it been so far?"_ A familiar voice asked, looking into the mirror I saw the visage of Quintus Prime.

I chuckled, "I've not done much other than spying and, while I love doing that, I still need to establish myself among them."

He hummed, _"I have an idea, but first, you need a corpse correct?"_

"Yes," I said with delight, "I need a cadaver in order to study, dissect and all, and maybe raise from the dead while I'm at."

I could he was smirking under the mask, _"Well, why not kill two birds with one stone, I will give you coordinates to recent battle where they defeated a warrior, and their, you will meet an Autobot."_

"Which Autobot?" I asked curiously.

_"You'll see…"_ He said slyly, I rolled my optics and grabbed the remote groundbridge.

As said, the coordinates were there, and not far from the Autobot base either. Giddy with excitement I opened the portal, seeing in person was so different then just hearing about it from the ancient Prime, smiling wider I strutted through the groundbridge to the other side.

My light violet eyes danced around the new features that surrounded me, the canyon was tall, even for my height. Walking forward I finally reached where I was to find the body. There, in the canyon was a pile of rocks, definitely made by Cybertronian servos, a grave marker.

The power swelled within me again, wanting to reanimate the corpse that lay beneath my feet. It had been so long since I had performed the spell, I was eager and I suppose it was better than me dragging it through that portal and into my labs.

Twirling my staff I stabbed into the ground and began muttering arcane words as my optics turned completely black. The ground cracked and glowed with a dark light, the cracks spidering out and glowing a deep onimus color. I could feel the power reach the lifeless corpse.

A fluttering sensation hit my spark, not from the spell but from my senses, someone was watching.

I hummed aloud slightly, and my smile widened as I now understood the presence to be of an Autobot.

But for now I focused on what stirred beneath me. The power surged through the lifeless corpse and the undeath awoken within it. I tore the staff from the ground, the light fading and my optics returning to the light violet.

I waited for a moment, before suddenly a servo burst from the ground and a sizable Decepticon crawled out of his tomb. He stood at my height but was slouched, his body dented and destroyed, clearly in a fiery demise. He groaned an eerie growl but remained as he was, awaiting command.

My first time using the Animate Dead spell in such a long time, it was thrilling.

As I petted his helm I called out, "I know you are there, come out, and speak like a decent mech."

I heard cursing and the sound metal peds approaching cautiously, finally I got a good look at my peeping tom. He was quite smaller than me but not much, his orange and white paint were dulled in the night sky that overtook us. His blue optics filled with worry, curiosity and a hidden emotion I couldn't quite identify.

He was slightly trembling, his plates rattling ever so slightly in fear...maybe that was the emotion he hid? No, no...that's not right.

I smirked and he took a small step away as I stood tall and proud over him.

"Now, who might you be? You don't seem like the warrior type, what are doing out here?" I asked, my smooth voice trying to take the edge off of him, if only to have him spill his secrets.

He vented in and said, "I-I don't know...I just needed some...fresh air…"

He was lying through his fucking denta, oh how _adorable!_

"Really? Alright then," I said before looking back to my new undead, "Did you know his name?"

He seemed startled that I asked such a thing, he nodded, "His name is Skyquake."

"Interesting name, what's yours, _my thrall_?" I purred as I stepped closer to him, he backed away, unsure of my presence until he hit a wall.

He seemed unwilling to answer, only staring me down with a neutral expression, though his body betrayed his fear.

"Come now," I cooed, leaning down and close to his face, cupping his chin in my claws. "_Don't_ be rude." I warned.

He seemed to steel himself before answering, "Ratchet."

My smile lightened and I let his chin go, standing to my full height and backing away, "Was that so hard now?"

He said nothing, but he looked relieved not to be so close to me. Though I could hear his cooling systems kick in, _hm_, I like _that_ sound.

"Now, you are with the Autobots, correct?" I asked him, walking towards my undead Skyquake.

"Yes." He murmured.

"Good, I want to join." I said, inspecting Skyquake.

He seemed to freeze in the corner of my optic, staring dumbfound at me.

"YOU JUST RAISED THE DEAD?! WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE AN AUTOBOT?!" He screeched, his anger and confusion overriding his fear apparently.

I growled, never liking being yelled out, he immediately regretted it as I said.

"Because, _Ratchet_, I have my reasons and a friendly note, don't tick off the Necromancer in the room, it will get you _dead_." I hissed, leaning over the smaller mech who simply gulped and nodded.

"Good." I returned to my smooth voice. "Don't worry about Skyquake, his going to a place that will keep him safe."

I opened a groundbridge, psychically I ordered him to stand watch over the base. Slowly, he walked through and I closed the bridge behind him.

"You have a personal groundbridge?" He asked, eyeing the device.

"I do, maybe I'll tell you where I got it, if you behave, _my thrall_." I said with a smirk, overtime it seemed his fear waned and he became more...assertive.

"I'm not a sparkling, don't talk down to me!" He growled, though specks of fear remained he was becoming more of a problem to me.

"Whatever you say, _my thrall_…" I said, "Now, are you going to talk all day or are we going to meet your Prime."

"In a minute, what is your name?" He said, his fierce blue optics now remained, no fear left.

I said it without a single thought, "My name is Cenotaph, pleasure to meet you, _my thrall_."

…

…

"Stop calling me that…"

"Heh, never."


	10. Rising and Falling

**_A/N: Hey, we are back and we are getting the background for what led up to Cenotaph's arrival! I had to rewrite this twice cuz it didn't sound right but now I think I nailed it. Hope you all enjoy, loving hearing comments and reviews of how much you enjoy it! Now, on with the show and this flashback! PS, if it wasn't clear before Cenotaph raised Skyquake from the dead as a zombie, okay? okay! _**

_Chapter 10-Rising and Falling_

_One Week before Cenotaph's Arrival…_

_Sunstreaker POV_

I stood in the corner of the main hall watching everyone celebrating the victory, with the destruction of the Space Bridge, this mud ball was safe from the Decepticons.

The Prime had left early to get repaired by Hatchet, being the most beat up. Leaving the rest to the festivities, everyone seemed to enjoy the company, but one stood out, Bulletta.

Clearly still sore from the direct hit she took in the back, she was sitting on crate talking to the human referred to as Sierra. My optics narrowed as I stared longer at the femme, laughing and talking to her..._pet_...with a easy going attitude.

Honestly, these humans were nothing but a nuisance. I only agreed to work with one called Miko before because Sideswipe had taken a liking to her, more than myself. I mean, they only caused trouble, these past days were enough evidence.

Then, there was Bulletta, the new Autobot.

Her reaction was...unexpected.

She almost seemed feral, the way she stared us down before, of course though she wasn't a normal Cybertronian either. From what I've heard, she comes from below the surface of Cybertron. I mean, what kind of freaks live underground? What benefit is there?

My servos clenched tightly as I stared at her, everyone so quickly forgave her, forgot that she had _threatened_ our lives. She was a perfect angel in their eyes and we were the _bad guys_! Well she's not an angel, she something sinister.

She's been open, answering any questions the team had.

But I know she can't be that open, no one can, everyone has secrets. And she is one big LIAR!

She _said_ she wasn't gonna kill us, _said_ she was aiming for less killable areas but that was a lie. I know what I saw as I came back with those weapons, that energy was aimed at my brother's spark! If she had killed him, she would've killed me, we were twins after all!

Bulletta seems to get away with everything and we get thrown under the bus. Not to mention that human's stupid idea in the first place!

Growling lowly I walked out of the main hall, having enough of seeing her face.

Bulletta is an outsider, she isn't Cybertronian, yet she is an Autobot.

Well no dice, she's not Autobot material, Bulletta isn't one of us, she is nothing more than a disguised _parasite_. How can she be an Autobot, when she is nothing more than a monster, more Decepticon than Autobot. I mean, even her features scream Decepticon, the horns, the tail, those claws and fangs.

Not to mention that freaky language, the devil's tongue Infernal. I looked up _devil_ back on the Space Bridge. I know what a devil is, the same as what we call Unicron. Which, by definition, makes her a _spawn_ of Unicron.

My entire frame shivers at the fact that a spawn of Unicron is allowed to be an Autobot.

It makes me wonder what kind of thoughts run behind Prime's never changing expressionless mask?

Whatever thoughts they are, clearly, they aren't the right ones.

_Cliffjumper's POV_

I stared down the hall that Sunstreaker made his way into, my optics narrowed as I had noticed a dark shift in his optics as they stared at something before he walked away. Looking to where his optics previous lay, I saw Bulletta talking with Sierra.

Now, why was he staring at her like that?

Was it to do with the whole 'Darkletta Incident'? I mean sure, she did kinda go overboard with the reaction, but I must give her the benefit of the doubt. There may be cultural differences when it comes to weaponry from where she's from.

I mean, the culture shock must be huge on her, especially with her now being made of metal. Her life has really changed, and it may be harder than she lets on to adjust to it. With the whole mission weighing on her shoulders, there's no telling what kind of stress will do that to you, especially when you are tasked to stop a war that's last longer than this planet's been a _planet_.

I feel for her, she has a lot on her plate and she doesn't need the added stress.

But, it makes me wonder about the other side in this. Sideswipe seems to be keeping away from her, Miko seems fine and Sunstreaker...well he's being the oddball.

But who knows, the mind of any mech can be a can of worms due to this war.

"What are you thinking about, Cliff?" A femme's voice brought me out of my thoughts, looking to my left I saw Arcee looking at me with concerned look.

I vented, "It's been a long day, I'm just…"

"Tired?" She asked before smiling, "I feel the same way, but I am also worried about the whole kidnapping thing, are you sure you are just tired?"

I paused, thinking of what to say, and all I could come up with was, "I don't want to talk about it right now."

She nodded in understanding, "I get it, just know you can talk to me or anyone else about it, alright?"

"Of course, thanks." I smiled, seemingly satisfied she walked over to her charge before transforming and heading out with him.

How could I tell her everything? How do I tell anyone that Bulletta was sent by the Primes to stop this war? Or even the topic of Moonfall, how she was the one that saved my aft! It was impossible in my mind, how do you explain this without sounding insane?

The best was to just keep it to myself, for now.

* * *

_Sierra's POV_

We silently drove through the desert towards Jasper, the night was so beautiful out in the desert. As we went I looked up at the stars, thinking about how just hours ago, a battle raged among those stars that nearly cost Earth's and its inhabitant's lives.

"Pretty, aren't they?" Bulletta said, I looked to her steering wheel, where the strange eye symbol glowed and dimmed with her voice.

"Yeah, I bet they were better looking up their than down here though." I commented with a light smile.

"They were…" Bulletta said, almost distracted sounding.

I looked to her wheel with concern, "Are you alright?"

"Honestly, no. But I'll get over it, eventually." She said.

I frowned, "Are you sure, you nearly died before, are you in pain?"

She laughed lightly, "No, I'm not in pain. And if I am being honest, I'm not that scared of death."

"Really?" Now I was curious, Bulletta was interesting to say the least, the fact that she was so different from the other bots intrigued me.

"Yeah, I may not have been in this war before, but I've been in war to know what death means and is. To say I have faced it more than once is an understatement. But sometimes...the past likes to come and haunt you from time to time."

There was silence for a moment, almost like she wanted to go on but stopped herself.

We stopped in front of my house and I got out, I looked back to her with a sympathetic smile, "Well, know you can always talk with me, after all, best friends share secrets with one another."

She laughed, "Right, but not today, you should get to bed."

"Goodnight, Bulletta."

"Goodnight...Sierra."

* * *

_Ratchet's POV_

Finally, everyone was either gone or had entered recharge. I could now get things done with some peace and quiet. I pulled up my research in regards to Bulletta, which I dubbed, Project: Infinity. All my scans and notes on the strange femme were on the screens, my research of her entire nature was basically complete.

But now, I have nothing else to learn about her.

Expect for a new development I recently discovered while going through her medical scans.

When reviewing the scans over again I noticed something odd. There in her processor was an extra device or part of her processor. Located in the part of the processor that stores memory data was another foreign piece that glowed brightly on her scans.

This is what I assumed to be the Atheneum. The device that allows her retain knowledge and the power to hack into literally anything. The entire structure was fascinating, the fact that it could act almost on its own was amazing.

But then there were three other things on the scans that didn't make any sense.

First was this strange mass near her frontal lobe. It was dimmer though, as if it wasn't in use constantly. And the other thing about it, it wasn't their when I first scanned her. When she came back injured this time, I scanned her and found this here where it wasn't before.

The second was something about her spark, her spark was different from a regular Cybertronian sparks which was not expected. Since we come from the same creator deity, I assumed they would be the same, but no. Her spark pulse is different, her very make up is different and the amount of energy it puts out, and the very energy, I've never seen it before, maybe it's were her Hellish Rebuke comes from...it's incredible and needs more study.

The final strange thing was the amount of previous damage, I knew she was in a war different from our own, but the amount and severity. To put it simply, she should be either severely crippled or dead. Which is concerning, I knew she had serious trauma from before but this...the biggest amount of trauma was located around her spark, this damage….it should've killed her.

No doubt in my mind, this is one strange femme.

Then I thought back to when the 'Darkletta Incident' occurred. I had been watching in a shadow the events unfold. And what caught my audio was how she explained her Hellish Rebuke, she said it was magical...could this explain how these things in her frame worked?

Magic, I've heard that only the Primes could wield such power.

But that's impossible, magic doesn't exist, those were only stories and myths.

Maybe, if it is real, then I could ask her about it. It seems so fascinating, if magic could do what she does, then maybe...it can be harnessed by others to aid us in the war!

But all of this is speculation of course, only time can tell if it's something tangible to research.

* * *

_7 Days Later…_

_No One's POV_

Bulletta smiled at her young charge as she worked hard on her science project. Each of the kids were doing their projects at base today, as it was due the next day. Sierra was doing a study on different fabrics best at keeping the heat out. Miko was doing a model of the solar system, Jack was building a motorcycle engine and Raf was doing a volcano.

"How's it going?" Bulletta asked, Sierra looked up with a sheepish smile.

"I think I owe you an apology." She looked surprised at the human girl, "I thought science and math had nothing to due with fashion, I was wrong I guess."

"Oh!" Bulletta remembered the earlier conversation, "It's alright, now you know to work extra at those too!"

"Right, I really need to get my grades up in science and math, so this will be a great help if I get an A out of it." She said, looking proudly at the almost complete board explaining her project.

Bulletta's tail patted her head, "Well, like my teachers always said, 'Do your absolute best no matter what' and 'Always double and triple check your facts'."

"Sounds like you had good teachers then." Sierra nudged the tail away from her head with a coy smile.

"Heh, yeah, I did." Bulletta said, a sad undertone in her voice.

Sierra, not wanting to upset her further changed the subject, "So, how are you adjusting to Earth?"

Bulletta smiled, "There's not much to adjust too, well, expect the technology difference and slight societal changes."

All the kids and even the bots helping them out looked surprised.

"Really?" Bulkhead asked.

"Actually yeah, there are many similarities to the Countless Lands as to Earth." She said, the smile expanding as she spoke.

Bumblebee then said, "_So, not just the land is the same?"_

"Wait, what?" Arcee said looking between both Bumblebee and Bulletta.

The Tiefling excitedly told the group of the Countless Lands, how it was a techno-organic land similar to Earth.

"So, how different is it then?" Raf asked as he went on with his project.

"Well, for starters, our technological advancement was equivalent to what you called the Middle Ages up to the Renaissance. Most people got around on mounts, such as horses, griffons, wyverns etc. While some and the more talented and rich, got around using magic."

Sierra looked surprised, "Magic? I remember you mentioning that before."

Bulletta said, "Yep, though I don't trust it, many use it as transportation, with either flying spells, teleportation circles etc. Magic is versatile like that, it can do many things and as such, it is what I believe kept us farther back in the science and technology department, as most rely on magic to do things for them."

"That sounds so cool!" Miko exclaimed.

Jack nodded, "Yeah, but you also said societal?"

Bulletta beamed, "Oh yes! While you live in peace for most of the time, we don't have that. Not with all the dangerous creatures and people running about, the most threatening of them all in my opinion are other people. Bandits, warlords, insane wizards, generally bad people, corrupt officials etc. It is why adventuring parties are needed, local heroes that can defeat those who threaten the whole. It's also a good way to make a living, or in my case, a good way to find hidden knowledge."

There was a bead of silence before Jack simply whistled.

"Must've been a hard place to grow up." Bulkhead commented.

Her optics slightly darkened, "Sometimes." She said.

Everyone fell into silence, the children going back to their projects with their bots following.

In the dark shadow nearby, Sunstreaker stood watching. His optics narrowed at the devil femme before him. His thoughts secure in his prejudice, and now he knew where to strike. He smiled as brother approached him from behind, Sideswipe able to feel vindication rolling of his bond to his brother.

"Sunstreaker, what are you doing?" The red twin asked, almost afraid of the amount of elation and slight sinister undertone washing over his spark.

His brother turned to him with a devilish smile, "I am and will always be better than her." He simply said before walking past his brother and down the halls.

Sideswipe stared at where his brother had gone, then back at the group to find Bulletta along with others helping the kids. His optics hardened as he understood his meaning before walking away as well.

Cliffjumper had just walked into the main hall to see Optimus and Ratchet quietly talking to themselves. He was about to enter the conversation when an explosion erupted in the base.

"Decepticons! We're under attack!" Ratchet yelled, all three mechs sprinting to the other side of the main hall, a voice cutting through the smoke as it cleared.

"It's not an attack, Ratchet, it's my volcano." Raf proclaimed before his creation melted, "Or was." He sadly said.

Ratchet was looking over all the kids, Miko saying, "Hold still, Bulk, Jupiter needs its red spot!" Before red paint dripping on the floor, "Oops."

"Maybe it needs one of these doohickies?" Arcee asked Jack, holding a part of the engine.

Jack looked coyly at his guardian, "Aren't you a motorcycle, shouldn't know how to build one?"

Arcee replied with the same tone, "You're a human Jack, can you build me an intestine?"

Ratchet poorly accused, "Y-You can't do that here...you are making a mess!"

"But this science project is for half our grade, if Bulk doesn't help me finish-" Miko was cut off by the medic.

"Oh? And what does Bulkhead know of your solar system, or Bumblebee of your volcano's, even Bulletta about your fabrics or Arcee of your…" He trailed off.

"Our motorcycles?" Jack finished his thought.

"Exactly, they aren't Earthlings and they aren't scientists!" He countered only for Optimus to step in.

"But the Autobots are there guardians, Ratchet, wouldn't it be wise to help our young friends with their homework to learn more of Earth?" His calming voice clearly having an effect on the medic as he coolly replied.

"Well maybe our young friends should learn more about Cybertron?" He said before walking away.

"Ah, Ratchet will never change." Cliffjumper commented, a slight smile forming on Optimus's face as he silently agreed.

"You know, I do know a lot about fabrics." Bulletta commented to the silent air.

"And that's why you are helping me!" Sierra said with a smile up at her guardian.

_Later in the Day…._

Bulletta and Sierra had just finished their project when an alarm went off, quickly it was turned off and Bulletta sighed in relief for her poor audios. Ratchet was right at the console analyzing data flowing past the screen, with her Atheneum connected to the terminal she saw what he saw in her optics and understood what the alarm was for.

"Optimus, I'm detecting a surge of Energon coming from the desert not to far from here!" Ratchet proclaimed.

"Decepticons!" Bulkhead said with a growl.

"Even after that defeat in space?" Sierra asked as she and the other humans raced to the human area.

"That was merely a battle in a larger war, it seems Megatron is already rebounding from his loss. Bumblebee, Bulletta, lets scout out this surge." Optimus said, the two Autobots following their leader as they went through the groundbridge Ratchet had powered up.

Arriving on the other side, they were greeted with a blazing sun scorching the desert floor. Bulletta noticed they were in a canyon and that the signal Ratchet had detected was up ahead.

They walked ahead with caution, drawing their blasters, with Bulletta pulling out Betrayer. Voices were becoming clearer, but even before the mechs could hear, Bulletta heard first.

"Excellent. Your loyalty and devotion will set a fine example for the troops. No need to be timid, Skyquake, you may bow." A shrill and devious called out.

"You fail to grasp my meaning. I am here on a mission, assigned to me by my one master: Megatron." The mech known as Skyquake said.

The first voice screeched, "Your Master is nothing more than a hypocritical coward that should be-"

"Starscream, that's enough!" She recognized as Thundercracker bellowed, "Is this how it is? You going back to those horrid ways?!"

"Yeah, why are you doing this?!" Another voice added, she assumed this was Skywarp talking to Starscream, the first voice. It almost sounded desperate.

Then there was a pained gasp from two sources, the younger brothers of the SIC of the Decepticons.

"Stay out of my way." Starscream hissed.

The three Autobots came to the source of the voices, there standing their was Starscream, his brothers and the silent mech known as Soundwave with a new mech standing over them, Skyquake.

"Bulletta, remain here, Bumblebee, with me." Optimus quietly said before starting to make their way out.

Skyquake went on, unaware of the Bots present, "Hmph, you should work out your family issues, coward. Now, Soundwave, what mission has Lord Megatron has-"

"SKYQUAKE!" Optimus bellowed, gathering the shocked attention of the Decepticons.

"Optimus Prime, the last time I saw you was at the Battle for Technar, I was ordered to destroy you." Skyquake said with a devilish grin.

"That was the past, Skyquake, I offer you a chance, to end the war peacefully." The Prime's plea fell on death's audios.

"You are foolish as always, Prime." Skyquake snickered.

Starscream interjected, "Hm, I may be willing to agree to peace terms Prime, if you merely bowed before me?"

Skyquake turned to him in anger, "Again!? Bow to this!" He knocked the seeker back into the wall face before pulling his sword and charging Optimus and Bumblebee.

Bulletta shot his hand with the sword knocking his balance off, making the Prime able to pull his swords out and push the seeker back. Bumblebee ran around him firing shots that did nothing to his armor.

Skyquake brought his sword down on Optimus, making the pair clash. Bulletta tried to aim for the seeker but couldn't find a shot. The pair danced a deadly dance of swords with the Prime being overwhelmed before suddenly a shot from Bee hit him in the back of the helm.

Turning to the Scout, the Seeker pulled his gun and began shooting at Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee, retreat, now!" Optimus yelled a little to late as a blast from Skyquake hit him square in the chest, sending him back towards Bulletta who rolled out of the way as the mech crashed into her hiding spot.

Quickly, Bulletta recovered and whispered "**Force."** and fired once more. This time her bullets hitting with more impact than before, pushing the mech back. Enraged he fired again, trying to dodge she nearly succeed but was hit in the shoulder making her stumble back hissing in pain.

Optimus was now running from the mech as he yelled, "Skyquake has yet to attain a vehicle mode."

Both nodding in understanding they quickly transformed and headed deeper into the canyons. Skyquake yelled at them as they drove.

"COWARDS! FIGHT ME LIKE MECHS!" He bellowed, giving chase.

Bulletta growled at the comment but ignored it. Suddenly her Comm sprang to life.

Optimus said, "**If we are to win this battle, we must outsmart him. Bulletta and Bumblebee, make your way through the canyons, I 'll lead him to a corner and that is where it will end in an ambush."**

"**Right, let's go Bee." **Bulletta replied as the pair split apart and the three automobiles split into three directions with Bee and Bulletta sharing information as the came for a pincer attack.

Optimus assumed correctly that Skyquake would follow him down the canyon he chose. Knowing it was about to end in a dead end of sorts the Prime quickly transformed to face his opponent with his back to the rocky wall.

Skyquake stopped with a smirk, "Your Scout and Sniper are wise, Prime. They knew when to run!"

"That is where you are wrong, Skyquake." Optimus simply retorted.

Suddenly, a bullet hit Skyquake's helm, encasing it in ice. Looking up, the Prime say his sniper standing on top of the ridge with her Betrayer out and smoking. It was now that he noticed that the barrel glowed light blue for a moment before disappearing.

Skyquake's roars of pain brought the Prime back to the fight as just as the Seeker got the ice off of him he was hit on the side, knocking his weapons away and knocking him into the wall. Bumblebee stood their proud of his sneak attack before running up and kicking said weapons away.

Optimus stood over the beaten form of the Seeker, he asked once more, "This doesn't have to end like this, Skyquake. I give one last chance to renounce Megatron, and join the Autobots towards a peaceful future."

The Seeker simply growled, "Never."

"So be it." Optimus raised his blaster to his helm when he suddenly heard a jet's engines.

Looking up the Autobots saw Agent Fowler riding in a jet with his voice coming through the comm link, "**Here for assistance, Prime!" **

Realizing the human's mistake the Prime yelled, "**Fowler! Fall back!"**

But it was too late as a green beam passed through the jet, momentary scrambling it's systems before I came back online. With a yell, Skyquake pushed the distracted Prime back and jumped in the air, transforming into the same jet.

"Air superiority, achieved!" The Seeker yelled as he began shooting at the grounded Autobots.

Optimus and Bumblebee ducked for cover, but the now exposed Sniper was not so lucky, Bulletta tried to run for a boulder but was shot numerous times in the back making her fall to the ground and scatter her sniper rifle. She grunted in pain, looking back up to see him coming to now strife Optimus and Bee in their hiding spots below.

An idea sprung into her mind and without much thought, she pushed through the pain and ran to the edge just as Skyquake dived towards the mechs. As he went to fire she jumped onto his aerial mode making him wobble and pull up in anger.

He soared around, trying to dislodge the femme from his back, turning and rolling and even slamming her into the wall of the canyon was not enough. She pulled on his wings, pain made him follow as he pulled up, higher and higher into the sky.

As he reached a peak in his climb, Bulletta pulled Veracity and aimed at the cockpit.

"**Fire."** She whispered and began unloading her chamber in and around the cockpit.

Suddenly the bullets pierced and melted the metal. Fire began to burn within the jet as now it was nosediving, Skyquake in so much pain he could no longer control his power of flight. Bulletta looked to her left to see Fowler in his jet riding alongside the falling Decepticon.

Taking her chances, she jumped and landed on the other jet. It pulled away just before hitting the ground, but Skyquake wasn't so lucky. He smashed into the ground and thus, his spark was extinguished.

The man landed his plane and Bulletta jumped off it, begin greeted by Optimus.

"Well done, soldier." He said with pride.

"Thanks, but it would've been better if we didn't have to bury to poor mech." She said, looking at his remains now cold and dead.

"Indeed, if Skyquake would've strayed from Megatron's path, we may not have to bury him today." His inflection held a tone of loss and mourning.

Suddenly, a blur of yellow and black appeared, hugging Bulletta.

"_Don't ever do that again!"_ He yelled, as Bumblebee held onto Bulletta.

"O-Oh, uh sorry for worrying you Bee, I didn't think y-you cared _this_ much?" She asked, feeling embarrassed about the situation she was in and the close proximity to the young and handsome mech.

Realizing what he was doing he quickly let go of the strong yet curvy femme, "_U-Uh, well I just...um..sorry, I didn't…"_ He trailed off as thoughts of holding her in his arms felt strangely right.

Optimus hid a smile as he stared at the two, even if they did have to bury a mech today, he knew that there was still some good that came out of the whole battle.

* * *

_The Next Day…_

_Ratchet's POV_

I waited excitedly all day, for once I was happy to see the kids once more. As then I would know the results of my-er, their projects! Of course though since Sierra had done her's, I couldn't help her with it, which was a shame, but it didn't matter.

Suddenly the sound of the kids returned entered my audios, closing my Project: Infinity for now, I ran to the four bots who entered the main hall. Each of the children climb off/out of their guardians before they transformed.

"So how did my-er, our projects do?" I asked, almost too excited for the answers.

Jack, Miko and Raf all looked at each before Sierra started laughing.

"Ah, they completely failed!" Sierra laughed, "I mean, Raf's blew a hole in the roof, Jack's terrorized students as it rampaged through the halls and Ratchet, seriously, a model of Cybertron? Are you trying to rat yourself out!?"

I grumbled and asked, "And what about you?"

She beamed, "I got an A+!"

Bulletta smiled, "That's my girl! Wanna go for a victory lap around Jasper!?"

"Only if we get ice cream!" Bulletta transformed again and allowed the red head to climb in before the sped off celebrating.

I growled, "Well on Cybertron you would've been awarded the highest honors!"

I stomped away from the group but not before hearing Bumblebee say, "_Maybe they should've done what Skyquake didn't do."_

"Indeed, it would've been wise for the children to have strayed from Ratchet's path." Optimus said with a slight knowing smile.

I scoffed and returned to my work.

* * *

_A figure stood alone, standing among gravestones that were old and broken. A rusted fence surrounded the small graveyard and not to far off was a gallows with broken ropes hanging in the wind. The dark forest seemed to growl at my very presence and a sense of dread hung in the air like dense fog, like the fog that clung to my peds._

_I didn't understand how I came to be here, there was no sun, only the large moon illuminating my surroundings._

_The figure in the graveyard slowly turned to face me, the darkened features were unreadable. But the low glow of light violet optics was the only feature I noticed. The figure slowly approached, the features not becoming any clearer, but for the optics, but the shape of the figure was clearly that of a femme that towered at Optimus's height, she was curved in the right places and her aura spewed confidence and dominance. _

_I stood frozen as she stood over me, a light chuckle escaping her vocal box. It sent shivers down my spinal strut. _

'_Such an adorable little mech you are, what I wouldn't love but to make you scream my name!' She relished in a seductive tone, a clawed hand reached out and lightly touched my cheek, running down my face and cupping my helm as she pulled me closer to her._

'_W-Who are you?' I whispered out, shots of electricity running through my entire frame, painful but pleasurable. _

_She hummed, the voice reverbing in my spark, 'In time, _my thrall_, but for now…' Her clawed hands held me to her frame, her form though made of blackness was warm and enticing. 'Enjoy the show.' _

_My optics followed hers as she looked back to the graveyard, suddenly cracks appeared beneath our peds and dark light spilled from them as the covered the grounds around the graves._

_Suddenly, rotting corpses rose through the ground, some human, some Cybertronian. All of them moaning in despair and sorrow. Then they all bowed down to the pair of us. And even though this was a horrible, terrifying sight…._

_...I only felt a rush of power and ecstasy as they bowed to _us_...to me._

I gasped, sitting straight up as the dream ended suddenly.

Blinking, I realized I fell asleep while writing in Project: Infinity. Shaking my helm of the ghosting feelings rattling my frame, I turned the computer off and headed out of my Med-Bay. I could still feel the femme's frame pressed against mine, I shivered trying to shake it off.

Suddenly I stopped, in the corner of my optic, I saw something blinking on the main console in the main hall. Walking over, I noticed something strange. A strange energy pulse was pick up, one that of ancient origin. But what is it doing at Skyquake's burial site?

I was about to comm Optimus when something stopped me, laughter filled my helm, the femme's laugh from the dream.

I looked back to the signal, thinking I could handle this I opened the groundbridge and headed through the other side. Arriving in the dead of night, I began to make my way to the source.

Frankly, I was worried. What could that dream have meant? And why do I remember it so clearly, so clear in fact that her voice still rumbled pleasurable in my very spark.

I heard a crack, as something was smashed into the ground, slowly I made my way to the source. Rounding the corner I stopped, there standing before Skyquake's tomb was femme taller than I, she had a white protoform with black tattoo's of runic nature. She had black cords hanging from her helm and a piece of metal framing her face. She wore a purple cloak hanging from a clasp of metal and held with an eclipsed sun. A dress of black with a v cut hem and a white and gold corset around her stomach plates.

She held a staff with an eclipsed sun and two floating crescents near it. A book strapped to her waist. The energy that coursed through the ground was eerily familiar from my dream and I looked up to the face, only seeing the lips as the cords were in the way, they smirked before releasing the staff from the ground.

After a moment, the ground broke away and standing once more was Skyquake, but now he was undead. She inspected him, caressing his damaged helm before saying.

"I know you are there, come out, and speak like a decent mech." Her voice was exactly like that of the femme in my dreams.

"Scrap." I cursed lightly, before obeying her command and stepping into the moonlight.

She turned full towards me and my spark stopped, light violet optics staring me down like I was a meal.

"Now, who might you be? You don't seem like the warrior type, what are doing out here?" She asked, her seductive voice prodding for answers.

I put on a mask and answered her questions, even though my spark shivered in delight at her proximity and her touch.


	11. Stoke the Embers

**_A/N: Heyo, sorry for the short chapter but again I had a hard time with this chapter like in BOTB. But I hope its too your liking. I also keep forgetting to mention that I now have character bios for the Falling Stars universe on my profile with theme songs for them. So check it out, now, enjoy this new chapter!_**

_Chapter 11-Stoke the Embers_

_Cenotaph's POV_

If the world were perfect, we wouldn't be alive. And it seemed that Ratchet was hellbent on perfection. Everything with him was meant for perfection, his servos graced him with perfection in the medical field, his mannerisms and attitude screamed prideful and perfectionism. Even his tools and projects, all claiming perfection.

He wished for perfection, peace, order and stability….

….But where's the fun in that?

It was early in the morning hours, Ratchet refused to go back to recharge and remained up with me, awaiting the rest of the team's arrival to the main area.

And I have already made chaos out of his orderly perfectionism.

Small things, switching placement of equipment, turning things off or on, knocking things onto the floor. It may be bad due to his medical profession, but, chaos is always a little more exciting when you are the one causing it.

But the real way to get under his armor plating was by simply flirting with the poor mech. It was clear the mech had never really given anyone a second thought in the sense of romance. So, when he started to stutter, quake and heat up, hm, now that was something to relish in more than just pure chaos!

"C-Cenotaph, please!" He almost begged as I skirted around him, knocking over a tool once more.

I smiled, "Why?"

He turned to me quickly, his face hardened in a scowl, "Because you are bound to break something important!" He hissed.

I rolled my optics, "Ratchet, I know what you do and I know what to mess with and what not to mess with, you aren't the only one with medical expertise as my..._field of study_ requires such things at times."

He seemed to suppress a shudder, "R-Right, I forgot, but please! Just don't!"

I relented, "Fine, it's about time the team is to arrive, correct?"

"Yes, though I don't know how I explain everything…" He said, putting down his tools and looking past me.

"Leave that to me, and by the way Ratchet," He looked to me curiously, "Don't say a word about my school of magic, that is for me to disclose, not _you_." I growled the warning, he quickly stiffened and nodded, heading to the terminal to get away from me, if only just for awhile.

It wasn't long after that, the tell tale signs of bots approaching, talking amongst themselves. I walked over to the Ground bridge tunnel at stood halfway covered in the shadows...I always loved dramatic entrances.

_No One's POV_

All of Team Prime entered the main hall together, some chatting amongst the others while some, mainly Optimus and Sunstreaker, kept to themselves. Each having just refueled they were all ready to start the day, after all, they had just won a major battle against the Decepticons and they felt like they could take on anything thrown at them.

Optimus noticed his old friend at the terminal, "Ratchet, how long were you up last night?" It seemed like he didn't move since he bid the medic a good rest.

Ratchet gave a quick glance, "Doesn't matter…" He mumbled.

Sunstreaker walked up beside the Prime, "You stayed up again, didn't you?" He mocked concern which earned a growl from Ratchet.

"Drop it, we have bigger problems right now!" He said, turning to face them.

Cliffjumper interjected as the rest of Team Prime noticed the exchange, "And what's that?"

Ratchet kept glancing at the Ground bridge tunnel, Optimus followed his line of sight to the darkened tunnel where for the first time he noticed a figure standing there.

Activating his blasters and mask he pointed his weapons at the figure along with everyone else as they were suddenly put on high alert, only for Ratchet to run between them.

"WAIT, don't shoot!" His servos up and a worried expression crossing his face.

"Who the frag is that?!" Bulkhead bellowed, "And how are they here?!"

There was a light laughter that drifted from the figure, feminine and sinister.

"How else do you think I got in?" She said with a dark smile as she stepped into the light and behind the medic who tensed as she approached. "Ratchet was more than willing to let me in."

Bulletta lowered her weapon Veracity ever so slightly, her yellow optics widening in recognition at the figure's physique and the glow of magic around her.

"You're...a Goliath Lander." She said in a surprised whisper, the others looked to her. "And you're a wizard, or sorcerer? Or is it Warlock, I can't tell you magic types apart."

She rolled her light violet optics, "I'm a wizard thank you very much, my name is Cenotaph and I'm pleasantly surprised to see a Tiefling, and a grey one at that!" She stared in fascination at the smaller femme.

"So," Arcee lowered her weapons, "Why are you here and why did Ratchet let you in?!"

"Hm, I told him I wanted to join the Autobots and he agreed to allow me entrance." She said stepping to the side of the medic who was deadly silent at the moment.

Optimus put his mask and weapons away, staring at Cenotaph questioningly, "Why is it that you wish to join our cause?"

"Experience and because I'm bored." Cenotaph sighed, exacerbated.

"_Bored?" _Bumblebee clicked and chirped at her, her optic ridge raised a bit but she elaborated.

"Yes, things get boring if they aren't entertaining and what's more entertaining than war!?" She said, shifting her staff from one servo to the other before coming face to face, literally because she was that tall, with Optimus Prime.

"This isn't a game, Cenotaph, there are things at stake. And you need to understand that." His tone was serious and resolute, something that made Cenotaph simply smirk at.

"I know Optimus, believe me I know, but if you are so concerned about me then why don't you and your team teach me...or I can simply go to the Decepticons, they would most likely love to have my talents unlike you." She quipped, before stepping away from the group before Bulletta shouted.

"NO, we can't lose her Optimus! Wizards are extremely versatile and heavy damage dealers, we can't lose her, we'd lose the war!" She sighed before saying, "Even if she is a magical user and I don't trust them, she may be our greatest weapon against an army that outmatches us in firepower and strength."

Cenotaph looked quizzical at the Tiefling, "Don't trust magic users?"

Bulletta frowned, "Lets just say, I've had a bad run with them in the past, don't like it when people tamper with my projects." She said before slowly putting Veracity away.

Sideswipe asked, "So, can we keep her, she seems fun!" The red mech said, looking to his brother and the Prime.

Optimus looked at the tall femme for a long time, before looking to the tense medic, "Do you trust her, old friend?"

He nodded without hesitation, "Yes."

Cenotaph was surprised by his quick answer but smiled before looking to Optimus.

"Well then, welcome to the Autobots, Cenotaph."

* * *

_Sierra's POV_

We drove towards base in relative silence, when I heard that there was a new bot joining the ranks I was excited, it meant more firepower for the good guys. But, the way she talked about this Cenotaph left me concerned. It was clear that Bulletta wasn't completely happy with her arrival but she never really voiced it, more like her wording was double meaning and I wondered what kind of femme made Bulletta sweat, well, bullets?

"So, why don't you trust her?" I asked my jeep femme friend, she skidded a little letting me know she was surprised by the question.

She let out a sigh, "I don't like magic users, and something just feels...off about her."

"Why don't you like magic users?" I asked.

"Well, I lived in a time where magic was abundant and literally could do anything you desire. Some used this power for good, while others...it was something that I learned to fear as a kid, and when someone tries to tamper with what you worked for for so long, you tend to get defensive. I always saw magic as a crutch, I didn't need it, all I needed was my mind, my weapons and my knowledge of how to make someone hurt, real bad."

There was a pause, "So, I guess that's why you are so defensive about your weaponry?"

"Yeah," Bulletta chuckled, "When you live on the streets, you cherish everything you got, that includes your weapon, if you don't have one, you are screwed."

I stayed silent, she never really talked in detail about her past, so I didn't know what to say.

But I couldn't as we entered the Base and something passed through me, I didn't know what is was but a shiver ran down my spine and a cloud of invisible darkness seemed to roll over me. Something didn't feel right, something felt very wrong.

We came into the main hall and I stepped out of Bulletta's jeep mode. She transformed behind me, clearly tense and guarded as her tail whipped around with anxiety. I looked to what made her so nervous and froze.

Standing there was the new femme, Cenotaph. Her light violet eyes were scanning each human with intrigue and something else. She was very tall and even though she didn't seem bulky, she looked strong too. Her staff interested me, a triple moon at the top with the crescents floating and I wondered how she got that to do that.

She seemed like a pale ghost, with black strange tattoos and black corded like hair. It was unsettling, the way she held herself and the way she stared down at us, it was more than curiosity, it was something else, something...sinister.

"So, these are the humans I've heard so much about!" She crooned.

Cenotaph bent down but the Autobots seemed not to trust her yet as they stepped closer to their charges protectively. She looked at them with a smile before ignoring them.

"What can you do?!" Miko asked excitedly, completely ignorant about the tension.

She smile widened, "Magic my dear, want to see some of it?"

The punk girl's eyes sparkled, "Really!? Heck yeah!"

Bulkhead warned, "Miko.."

"Don't worry Bulkhead, it will be harmless." She said as she stood before taking the staff and alighting it with a white glow.

Then she said a strange word I didn't understand and a flash crossed Miko's eyes and she shook her head and blinked her eyes. Cenotaph simply stared at Miko, waiting for something, but then Miko started to screech.

"Hey! Why'd you turn off the lights?" She asked, we looked at her confused.

"She didn't, is something wrong?" I asked looking at Miko, realizing quickly that her eyes were now clouded white.

"Wait, what!? AM I BLIND?!" She screamed at a direction, probable most likely wanting to yell at Cenotaph.

"Did you blind my charge?!" Bulkhead yelled at the taller femme as he picked up his now disabled charge.

"Ah, the Blindness/Deafness spell, simple yet devious. Don't worry, it isn't permanent, it will leave you after a minute." She roguishly smiled, she turned on her heel. "I'm not something to be commanded by anyone, Miko, _remember_ that!"

She then stalked away with a strut in her step to stand at Ratchet side at the terminal, who gave a look of satisfaction to the strange femme. I looked to the others, worry across my face.

Bulletta narrowed her optics at Cenotaph, but only shook her head and mumbled.

"Why did they chose you?"

* * *

_No One's POV_

Bulletta walked down the hall with purpose. She grumbled to herself, having got a private Comm. from Cenotaph, telling her to meet in private storage room. The tiefling didn't trust her as far as she could throw her, which wasn't far considering their height differences.

She stopped in front of the door and opened it, a hand on Veracity.

Cenotaph leaned against the opposite wall, her staff to the side and her arms crossed.

"Good, good, now we can talk freely." She said as Bulletta closed the door.

"About what?" She hissed.

She huffed, "I assume the mission, but I have to know, why were you picked, how did you die?"

Cenotaph laughed, "I believe it was because of my expertise, my magical ability. The way I died, well, I chose my end as I knew how to avoid it."

"You...committed suicide?!" She stared with shock and horror.

The pale femme cackled, "Yes, but not for anything really, I was promised a new life, a new start and a new path. So, I _took _it. I am not afraid of death, it's more of a nuisance in the way of my work."

Bulletta seemed horrified at her stance of things, before she asked, "What...school of magic do you practice?"

"Take a guess…" She slyly remarked.

There was silence, Bulletta tried to figure her out until the puzzle pieces clicked. She pulled Veracity on the femme, her hand shaking and her yellow optics wide in fear.

"You-you are a…" She tried to spout out but nothing more came, Cenotaph stood and swiped her staff menacing walking over to the fearful gunslinger.

She sneered, "Well, _Bulletta_, are you going to shoot me? A _teammate_? What would the Primes think? I'm not afraid so put that away, it only makes you look like a _fool_ and let's talk, like civilized dead femmes." Her face close to the fear ridden femme who stared up at the Necromancer femme.

Slowly, she lowered Veracity and Cenotaph stood back from the femme with a victorious smile.

"Now, let us discuss our plan, do you have one for ending this war?"

Bulletta frowned, "N-No, I don't have one…"

She hummed, "Well then we need to collaborate, we need to contact our Decepticon counterparts."

"What!? But...how?" Bulletta asked, her tail swishing behind her.

"Simple, we make contact, through magic and through the Primes." She said twirling her staff in thoughtfulness, "I have spells, we have the Primes and together, we can be sure of victory."

"Okay, but, how do you know they will agree?" The gunslinger asked, nervous about the plan.

There was a silent air in the room, then a whisper came into their helms with both Primes, Alchemist and Quintus, in unison said.

'_They will cooperate, because you are on the same side, take upon the wings on your insignia. All of you were born on the battlefield, of steel and magic. Rising to the call, to end it all…'_

'_You are the Falling Stars.'_


	12. Together Alone

**_A/N: Hello again! Sorry for the long wait but as always I wanted to make it as right as possible. Now there is gonna be another authors note below talking about something in this chapter and plans I have in the future as we near the end of the year as it gets super busy for me with work and family stuff. But, I hope you enjoy, I think you might tear up a little bit in this chapter, I know I did...or maybe I'm just weird, WHO KNOWS!? Anyways, enjoy this new chapter!_**

_Chapter 12-Together Alone_

_Bulletta's POV_

I was finally making some headway in my servo to servo combat training. Currently I was training with Arcee to increase my flexibility in servo to servo. Bee was good at training punches and guarding against them, now I felt I needed precious and grace, like Arcee.

"Keep your focus, 'Letta." Arcee called out as she got another hit on me.

I sheepishly grinned at her, "Sorry, just a lot on my mind."

And there was so much, maybe too much. My mind was filled with a dozen thoughts, a million of unsaid words, worries, fears, doubts. My sleep this past week has been nonexistent, ever since I came back from the Space Bridge my dreams weren't dreams, they were nightmares.

They were always different, but had a theme. Moments, where I felt helpless, wordless to stop something. Sometimes it was from the past, the past I now loathed to remember, sometimes it involved fictitious things involving Team Prime.

No matter what, those nightmares came and I felt weary and worn after awakening from them. But, I couldn't tell them about it, I won't tell them, they have enough to worry about. I don't need to think about it either, I have my waking world problems I need to deal with.

I kept going through the routine with Arcee, learning, dodging and fighting back. Soon enough, we called it a day, and I was grateful. I had other things to attend too.

"Hey, Bulletta." Arcee called out as I tried to leave.

I froze, looking over my shoulder with a small grin, "Yeah, something you need yet?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to talk about what's been distracting you as of late?" She asked, concerned optics watching my own.

"Oh," I simply said, "I can't right now, I have ...a project that needs completion."

I raced out of the room, leaving the two-wheeler behind. I felt guilt for having semi-lied to her and I felt disappointed in myself. Why didn't I tell her the truth? I shook it off for now, free from her questions and gaze I can focus on what needed to be done.

With my drone project a success it was time for me to begin recon of the unexplored levels of this base, for future purposes.

* * *

_At the Same Time..._

_Cenotaph POV_

"What are you doing?" A voice from behind me caught my attention.

Opening my optics, I looked back to the small voice that had addressed me in the middle of my ritual spell. I gained a questioning look at the one who had spoken up, Rafael. The human was simply small compared to me yet he seemed unafraid of me, _strange._

"Casting a spell my boy, why do you ask?" I turned back muttering the last of the arcane words before activation. I had drawn a mage circle around me with writing and glyphs, it glowed with a dull gold, waiting to be activated with the last spoken word, but I held it to hear what he had to say.

"Oh, can I watch?" He asked, cautiously walking around me and the circle of gold.

I eyed him, "There is nothing to see my boy, it is the Scrying Spell, it will give me sight on a chosen target. All you will see is me going blind and deaf while my vision is carried far from here."

He looked down in disappointment, "Of course, sorry, I guess I shouldn't disturb you then."

He began to walk away, not done with the conversation, I plucked him from the ground. He yelped in surprise as I held him up to my face level.

"Why did you come here, Rafael, what drove you to see what I was doing? I thought you humans were afraid of me?" I asked.

He was silent for a moment before saying, "What happened to Miko did scare me...alot, and Bumblebee did tell me to not be alone with you...BUT! I don't care, sure you are scary and sure we don't really know what you're intentions are, but, isn't that just cause for getting to know one another! I mean, how can you judge someone if you don't know them, who they are or were, and what they strive to become?"

I stared wide eyed at this kid, I couldn't believe how intelligent and forward thinking this kid was! It...was actually really sweet. Sure, there is some naivety in his statement, but he is a kid, can you blame him?

Though I'll never openly admit it, younger kids were a soft spot for me. Teenagers like Miko could die for all I care, and Jack with Sierra were unknowns, but as teens as they were, I cared for them not. Even when raising the dead, I shall never raise a child, for they are pure and too call upon them for battle...I simply don't do it.

So to say that Rafael unfrozen my spark, if only a little, is true.

"You are something unexpected, Rafael. Come, let us see what the Decepticons are up too, specifically the leader of those who walk in deception's path."

I smiled as I whispered, '_Videre.'_ and golden light engulfed our vision.

_Somewhere on Earth…_

_No One's POV_

The golden light that had engulfed their vision lifted suddenly, to their surprise, it was not the Nemesis's walls they saw, but a snow-covered pine forest. The snow around the target seemed fresh and untouched, like the target fell from the sky, or a portal.

The target, Lord Megatron, stood looking around the quiet forest with curiosity. But what surprised the watchers was the other with the Lord. A small femme, with striking grounder with light green spikes coming off her helm, olive protoform and black with green highlights on the armor. Spikes were in different places on her armor, giving it a studded look. Her golden optics and strange tattoos were the most noticeable features and a strange sword on her back. Her wheels located in her shoulders and her hips, she was completely dwarfed by the warlord but still held an intimidating presence.

The two wondered who this femme was, and why her Decepticon symbol had wings...well, one of them wondered.

Finally, the warlord spoke in the empty cold air, "So, you wanted to show me your part of the bargain?"

Bargain? What the heck were they talking about?

She smiled up at the warlord, with a gleam of glee in her optics, "Yes, but you need to be accepting, can you do that?"

Megatron smirked, "Of course."

She begins to move her now visible onyx inlaid palms around, creating a cocoon shape in the air, the glowing greenish-blue light sparkling in the air. Then, she thrusts it forward and it passes into the warlord.

The two watched in amazement as Megatron's body transformers, but not in the way a transforming being like himself should. His body twists and morphs but isn't painful as far as they could tell. He becomes lower, more animalistic as more time passes until instead of the towering Lord of the Decepticons isn't standing their anymore, but a larger than average cougar with silvery-grey metallic fur and burning red eyes.

Cenotaph instantly knew this was a new arrival just like her, now noticing that she had a Gnomish appearance and was apparently a Druid as well. It both intrigued and worried her.

The femme smiled down at the cougar, who inspected himself with curiosity.

"Megatron,this might be hard to understand but you have gained the intelligence of the animal, which means you can't speak and nothing you had before will work, no weapons, no Comms." The cougar looked up with rapt attention though the two watchers didn't know if it got through to him as she claims of his new intelligence being limited.

"Alright, my turn."

Again, the transformation began, but it was different. A glow surrounded her frame before it started the same thing as with Megatron. But this seemed more naturally to them, smoother and it looked less painful to them. Before long, another cougar, female with tan-ish coloring instead.

They huffed at each other, as if speaking before the femme turned and ran into the forest. Quickly, Megatron followed the femme. Suddenly the watchers vision was pulled with the cougar, moving at the same speed and always keeping him in the center.

They ran and ran, until the came to a clearing. They chuffed and huffed at each other, as if speaking before Megatron lunged out. Suddenly deer came into the focus range and Megatron latched onto one of the unfortunate animals, dragging it down and killing it.

Before it could go any further, their vision was pulled away and both Cenotaph and Rafael shuddered back into their own bodies, wide eyed with new knowledge, questions and fears.

* * *

_Unknown Location..._

_Unknown POV_

The crackle of thunder raced through the dark clouds above. Rain poured down on the cobbled streets below, the maze like city had so many twists and turns you could get lost in them. As thunder and lightning crackled and boomed overhead, a small form raced through those winding streets.

Her breath was shuttering with the bitter cold of the rain and the heaving of her lungs as she ran. The small cloaked figure gave a glance back to see her presurer, the town's guard, one man, was after her. And for good reason she supposed, she did just steal some bread from the baker while he was trying to close the shop for the night.

Nevertheless, she ran from the law.

The little girl skidded and darted into an alleyway, squeezing into a small space and pulling her dark cloak around her. As the footsteps got closer and the light of his flaming torch got closer, she held her breath. The footsteps halted, the light danced and shifted, the armored guard looking for the little thief.

She remained breathless, waiting for him to leave so that she could breathe again.

Slowly, the light disappeared and his footsteps faded.

The little girl took a deep breath and sighed in relief. Slowly she came from her hiding spot, looking both ways before hurrying to her makeshift home. She ducked into a grate that led to the underground waterways and sewers, where her home lay and where her father figure rested.

After sometime, she came upon the small alcove where their home was. It was simply enough, with bedrolls, a fire and pile of what that had obtained over the years. Their, sitting next to the fire was an older man, with a thinning hairline and a large white and grey beard and brilliant amber eyes. The man was of the larger size and seemed to light up with life as the little girl approached the older man.

'Ah, you've returned.' He greeted her as she came to sit next to him, 'What did you catch this time, my little Moon?'

She pulled the cloak away, revealing her ashen grey skin, her horns and black hair with white strips in them and yellow eyes.

'Something...**to**...eat!' The child said, her words harsh and hesitant, the old man looked at her proudly.

'You're vocabulary and speakin' is getting better my dear, now lets see what ya got?' He said, she revealed a bag filled with bread from the baker. 'Ah, now that's a good haul, lets dig in!'

Both began to eat the bread with enjoyment, though it was rough and stale it was better than nothing.

As the girl, named Moon, ate she thought of something.

"Question?" She asked the old man, who nodded his head, she put a lot of thought into her next words, "...where _did_ I come **from**, Hamilton?"

The old man, Hamilton was stunned. Moon was always good at mimicking others but he wondered where she heard that phrase from. Shaking it off, he smiled at the little tiefling orphan in front of him.

'I don't know, little Moon. I found yah, on the street and took ya in. I guess...I just didn't want to see a little baby die when all it needed was a chance.'

Moon pondered her father figure's words, she didn't understand why she was left alone on the streets. Why would she be left alone? Was it the same reason the population above despised her, this made her frown and pout. Hamilton, seeing this, tutted her.

'No, no, don't do that Moon. You need to think positive thoughts, if you weren't there, I wouldn't have you with me now!' He said, putting the girl onto his lap, she looked at him with sad eyes.

"But….do that** mean I**...have a real_ Mommy_ and Daddy? Why...make me go _away_?" She asked, her child brain not able to understand the concept of abandonment.

The old man sighed, 'Don't think too much about my dear, ya will go into a dark place. Only think of the positives, now go on, eat ya food.' He said giving her half eating loaf back to the little girl.

Halfheartedly, she began to eat it once more.

Suddenly, a shout was heard in the tunnels, the sounds of armor clanking and shouts of familiar guards.

'Ah shit,' The old man cursed, 'They doin' another purge, come quickly Moony, we don't have much time!'

He scooped up the little girl and ran further into the sewers as the guards started pouring in to imprison those that lived illegal in this tunnels. Her little heart pounded in her chest as fear started to consume her.

'Don't fret, Moony.' Hamilton said, sense the girls fear, 'We'll be okay, I promise.'

That did little to nothing to settle the fear in her very soul from rising up. The shouts got louder, the clanking of metal seemed almost monstrous. They rounded a corner only to see a group of guards standing there.

'Hey, stop! In the name of the City of Vasselheim!' He shouted.

Hamilton, for an old man, was quick. He turned to the other direction and ran as fast as he could. Each corner they tried to go down, it seemed like there were even more guards swarming there. The old man was tiring quickly, making the little girl lean into him more for comfort.

This took his attention away to her, which was a mistake.

Suddenly, his foot caught a floating log in the waterway causing him to trip and throw the young girl from his grasp to the ground. She squealed in terror and pain, she looked up, bruised and scratched, wet and cold at Hamilton.

'RUN, MOON, RUN!' He shouted, she looked past him to see the guards approaching.

With tears in her eyes, she got up and stumbled into a run. She ran deeper into the darkness, her Darkvision allowing her to see in the pitch black. She kept running and running until her legs gave out, she was tired, cold, wet and exhausted.

Her breathing labored, she cried out. She was scared, worried for her father figure and for her own safety, she was on her own.

_Alone. In the dark, lost and alone._

She began to hyperventilate, she didn't want to be _alone._ She didn't like to be _alone_, bad things happened when she was _alone_, no she can't be _alone_, she doesn't want to be _alone_..._I don't want to be alone...I want to call out but my voice catches in my throat...I want out...I want Hamilton...ANYONE.._

**_"PLEASE...DON'T….DON'T….I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE ANYMORE!" I screamed into the void…_**

…

…

…

…but no one came.

_Bulletta's POV_

I gasped as I awoke violently. I sat straight up from my desk, where I was working on a new prototype of my drone. I felt a chill run up and down my frame. My servos shook uncontrollably, my optics darted around the empty room and it suddenly felt small, too small for me.

Shoving myself away from the desk I opened the door and walked briskly to the wash racks. My venting was still harsh as I kept my optics burning into the floor.

I finally made it to the showers, instantly I blasted the hot water onto me. It seeped and soaking into my frame, I didn't even bother taking my armor off. I just stood there, shaking and gripping the wall as I stared at where the drain washed the water away into the depths.

"Just...a dream, don't let it get to you, Moon." I repeated to myself the mantra I had since learned ever since the nightmares came.

This was the same every night now, a nightmare would wake me, I'd take a hot shower then go sit in the main hall until I felt sleepy again then went back to my room to crash. Only to have another nightmare, wake up in the morning and pretend it never happened.

I kept repeating the mantra, over and over again. But for some reason, it wasn't working, I was still shaking, still cold...still alone. I felt the tears coming up, I tried to hold them back, I really did. But, my facade failed me, my stress of holding everything in, from my past, for my mission, and what I felt was the weight of all of my internal pain came out all at once.

I crumpled to the floor, heaving and sobbing as the stress finally took hold of me. I tried to keep it down, to not wake the others. But the trembling and the pain finally took over, I cried out in agony, like my spark was being pierced and hundred times over.

Hot, fat wet tears mixed with the water that fell over my face and frame. I gripped my arms so much I felt dents pushing in as I sobbed out freely. My dam...finally broke...I couldn't do it anymore ...the stress… the lies...and the heartbreak of the past that I had repressed for so long came at me in full force ...and it left me as a crying, sobbing mess.

All that I felt now was the pain...the stress...the dissatisfaction with myself...the loneliness that crushed me even in a packed room of people.

All of it...on full display, for the world that turned a blind eye to my pain.

It was always like that, I always had to deal with that pain alone, always alone. No one cared for a crying tiefling girl. No one.

I was alone, always alone, I don't want to be alone.

Suddenly, I noticed something.

The water that cascaded down my crumpled frame was gone, the water not falling anymore. Through tears, through the pain, through it all I heard...someone? No, multiply…

"What happened...?" One male voice asked, filled with concern.

"I don't know, I found her like this…" A dominating female voice said.

"Come on, help me get her to the Med Bay." The male voice asked, and two sets of servos gently picked me off the floor.

A male voice to my left asked, '_Do you know what is wrong with her?'_

The first male voice answered, "I believe so, I think she's had a mental breakdown."

Another female voice asked, "But why? Is there something we didn't see going on?"

"I don't know yet, here, put her here."

I was gently laid down onto a cold surface, but one of the pair of servos never left me, one holding onto my servo another resting against my helm. I loved the warmth of the servos, and I leaned into the touch. My optics while open seemed unfocused, dull and lazy with tears.

"She's seems cold, can you hold her while I get some thermal blankets?" The first male voice asked.

Silently, the one holding onto to me shifted. Until he settled down into a new position, one in which I leaned into his chassis. He was so warm, so comforting, I pressed my helm into the crook of his neck. He seemed to freeze for a moment before relaxing into me.

All the pain, all the loneliness, all the sorrow and stress seemed to melt away as I laid in his grasp. I felt...safe, protected and warm. I didn't want to leave him, I hummed in appreciation, my optics slowly gaining clarity.

I felt a servo brush away the tear stains and the last remnants of those tears away.

He whispered into my audio, '_Don't cry anymore, Bulletta, I'm here now.' _

I closed my optics and sighed in contempt.

"It seems she likes to cuddle with you, Bee." The second female voice said with a sly undertone…

...Bee? Why was she referring to a bee?...

What...is she...talking...wait...bee...bee...Bumblebee?

My optics opened slower than I would've liked, I stared into someone's neck and chest. Titling back and up I locked optics with sky blue ones, brilliantly sky blue. Those optics were full of worry, reassurance and...something else…

Suddenly, it all clicked.

"Bumble...bee?" I asked, my voice hoarse and tired.

Though his mouth was covered, I could tell he was smiling sadly.

_'Hey...you're alright, your safe.'_ He said with a soft voice, my spark was too tired and weak to even think about the fact that I was in a handsome mech's strong arms.

I smiled tiredly, "I know…" and then, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

_No One's POV_

As Bulletta fell asleep in Bumblebee's arms, the other three in the room were preoccupied. Ratchet placed the heated blanket over Bulletta, with a nod from Bumblebee, he remained holding the femme he was slowly falling for in his arms.

The two femmes, Arcee and Cenotaph stood off to the side, watching the whole thing.

It was Cenotaph who originally found the femme crying alone in the showers when she had gotten up to check if Ratchet was sleeping properly. She had commed Ratchet and Arcee along with Bee to her aid, unable to coax the femme from her wallow and shock state.

Cenotaph had never seen some so broken down before, it honestly frightened her.

"So, what happened?" Arcee asked the doctor who now turned his attention to the scans he took of her.

His optics narrowed, "It seems as I was correct before, she had a mental breakdown. It seems as though something must have triggered her suddenly metal shutdown, causing her to go into shock and hysteria. But what is still unknown, it also seems that her spark is under a lot of stress, which can also cause these types of outbursts."

"So," Cenotaph asked, "She basically couldn't handle the stress and broke down?"

"Yes, and it seems like she was under a lot of it to cause her to go into shock." He looked back to her now peacefully sleeping.

"The only way we know for sure is if she tells us what's going on." Arcee said, staring sadly at the femme. "Before during our practice she seemed distracted, unfocused, maybe it corresponds with this?"

"Maybe," Cenotaph countered, "Or it may just go deeper than that."

"Indeed, but we won't know until she wakes up, so for now go back to rest. Me and Bumblebee will keep a watch on her." Ratchet said going back to his computers.

Silently, the femmes left with questions racing in their minds.

One questioned if her comrade was alright, and if she was really good to go in combat.

The other, questioned if she would become a liability to the mission. If she couldn't handle the stress, then what else couldn't she handle either?

So many questions, but for now, they found rest. Or whatever rest they could find with the burning questions lingering in their minds.

Bumblebee, unlike the femme's, had no questions. He just wanted to know she would be okay, and he knew that he was not leaving her side for a moment. If there was one thing a scout was good at, it was listening. And Bee would do just that, when she was ready to talk about what was on her mind and spark, he would be there.

_Always._

_**A/N: So, basically what happened to Bulletta in this last part of the chapter actually happened to me once, but it was for a way less serious reason. I basically accidentally hit my mom's car, that was parked on our driveway with another car that she owned and I kinda lost it and fully broke down. To the point where the whole accident is now just a blur to me. With me only really remembering the absolute despair and fear I had coursing through me. I was a teen at the time with my license barely achieved so I was worried for a good reason, but it still worked out in the end. Anyways, just letting you know I most likely won't be updating either of the Falling Stars universe stories till most likely February of next year, with Christmas and New Years and the fact that in January it'll been a year since my Dad passed away, I think I'll be to emotionally and physically drained to really get anything down...and also its just nice to have a break to get those creative juices flowing again, but I hope you understand that I just need some family and me time, but I might upload if and only IF I feel like I got something good...we'll see. Anyways, sorry for the long rant, hope you have a good whatever time it is when you are reading this and have a Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate and have a Happy New Year, bye for now!**_


	13. Ones Alignment

_**A/N: Hello my good readers! Its been awhile since I last update! So, yes I know its not February but over the holidays I realized in my heart of hearts I wanted to release it on this day. Why you may ask? Why did I do a DOUBLE UPDATE ON BOTH OF STEEL AND MAGIC AND BORN ON THE BATTLEFIELD? Well simple, today, on January 23 of last year my Dad passed away. Now its been a year, a very hard year, but a year nonetheless and what better way I could think of to do for him was this. He always encouraged my artistic and writing passions and was always interested in what my mind could come up with! So, today I release these two chapters, one for each story, in honor of him.**_

_**Love you Dad, RIP**_

_**Anyways...enough with the sappiness, you came here for the story...I hope.**_

_**So please enjoy this new chapter, in a new year in a new decade and...**_

_**Enjoy the show.**_

_Chapter 13-Ones Alignment_

_Bulletta's POV_

Slowly, my systems came back online. I had a hard time for some reason, remembering how I fell into recharge, last night felt like a blurry and fuzzy dream. When I tried to remember, rising fear, anxiety and 'heartache' arose. I stopped, feeling like a heavy weight on my spark was lifted by not thinking of it.

Disregarding my strange mind for a moment, I took in the rest of my surroundings as I onlined my optics. The first thing I noticed was the warmth that surrounded me, and the sound of a steady pulse nearby. As my optics focused I could see I was under a blanket, but the heat didn't really come from it, but what I was semi-cradled in instead.

Looking up I froze perplexed.

"B-Bumble...bee?" I asked, my vocals felt raw for some reason and my voice was a pained whisper.

The subject in question, Bumblebee, was startled slightly by the sudden noise. His sky blue optics onlining as well, unfocused until they locked onto mine.

"_Bulletta!"_ He said surprised and...concerned? "_H-How are you feeling, are you uncomfortable?" _

I frowned, "No, where are we? What...happened?" _Why are you holding me?,_ was left unsaid.

"_You don't remember?"_ He asked, more concern and worry laced in his words.

"I don't…" I began to say but stopped, suddenly alerts came from my Atheneum, spots of information popped up saying; _Alert-Memory Data Files Corrupted, beginning recovery ...Recovery Incomplete ...Scanning Data...Retrieval of all Uncorrupted Data Commencing ...Retrieval Complete ...Review Recovered Memory Data-__**Confirm or Deny**__?_

I stared at the two options, apparently my Atheneum backed up my memories and some were corrupted? I nervously looked at both, my curiosity was crashing down hard but something else told me to deny it, to forget it.

"_Bulletta? Are you alright?"_ Bee asked, I focused back on him to see him worrying sky blue eyes.

I stuttered, "Hold on, I need to review the recovered memory data from last night."

He nodded in understanding, but I felt him holding tighter onto me, like I was going to jump away from him. Fact was, his presence was lessening the anxiety at the moment.

Looking back to my two optics, I stared at them both before selecting...

**CONFIRM**

_Bumblebee's POV_

I stared down at the femme who held a glazed look to her usually bright yellow optics. I could feel how nervous she was, her frame was ridge in place and her tail was coiled around her leg. There was a slight nod, before she took a deep intake of air, shuddering as what I believe are her memory files returning to her aware mind.

Her optics widened, her frame she became limp in my grasp, her optics still open as she took deeper and deeper breaths, shallow and harsh. Like watching it was painful, and I'm pretty sure it was.

I held her closer, leaning her helm near my spark so that the pulsing could soothe her. She twitched, and when I brought her closer she clung to me, creating dents and scratches, I winced and hissed silently but let it happen.

Tears welled up in optics again, and slowly fell down her face.

_"Bulletta….I don't know if you can hear me, but please, know that I am here. I don't know what you are going through, but I won't leave your side, I promise."_ I said, hoping to break through.

Slowly her helm turned up to see mine, her optics wide with what I could now identify as terror and despair.

She whispered, "You promise…?"

I nodded my helm,_ "Of course I do, I…"_ I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Thank you…" She smiled sadly, "Because I never want to be alone again."

There was a pang to her words, like an old wound was recently reopened and it pained her greatly. I knew I did something right by her with that promise, I just hope I can keep it.

* * *

_Ratchet's POV_

I returned from the Energon storage room to the Med-Bay only to stop before reaching the door. Voices filtered out of the room, distinctly Bulletta's and Bumblebee's. But they were too quiet for me to hear anything, then, the voices stopped and there was silence.

As I tried to step back in the room, something grasped my shoulder and yanked me back. I found myself disoriented for a moment before seeing Cenotaph slightly turned to the door of the Med-Bay as if listening for a moment before turning back to me.

"Let them have a moment, besides, I need to speak with you." She said, servo still holding my shoulder as if I was going to run from her.

I looked at the door then her, "What is it?" Keeping my neutral expression as best as I could, it felt like her servo was burning my metal underneath it...but not in a painful sense either.

"Ratchet, how interested are you in Landers?" She asked.

"Oh," I said, honestly surprised by the question, "Very much so I guess, I'd been researching Bulletta's unique cyberology for a while now. And after reading some of the reports of battles with Decepticons, your innate abilities to cast what you call, 'magic'."

"Innate is not a term I would use, some yes do have it innately, others don't and must learn or forge pacts with powerful beings in order to achieve their magical abilities."

She began lightly directed me away from the Med-Bay with her servo on my shoulder towards the main hall.

"Your kind, there are similarities to us yet you are vastly different. There is so much I don't understand, but I want too! Is...there any possible chance I could study you as well?"

A glint of mischief grew in her optics and I suddenly realized my mistake.

"You want to _study _me? Ratchet, I didn't know you had such a dirty mind…" She said with a seductive grin.

I shivered, "Urgh...when you make it sound like that…"

"Oh come now, I'm interested, genuinely." She giggled with a playful smile, "Besides, I don't mind having a young apprentice again."

I stopped myself, looking at the femme in front of me in shock and bewilderment.

"Young apprentice!?" I yelled, "I'm older than you!"

She raised a brow, "Really? How old are you?"

"I've been around since the Golden Age." I said with a bit of pride.

She stared off for a moment, muttering to herself and waving her fingers in the air like if she was trying to solve a math problem.

"Accounting for the fact we tell our age differently, I'd say I'm slightly younger than you. Of course, that could be reversed." A devious smile crossed her lips and suddenly my curiosity outweighed my caution.

"Can magic do that?" I asked.

"Of course," She flaunted her servos around, "How do you think I look so good for my age. In my lab, I have a pool that with the right 'setting' can reverse age, stop aging or just increase it if need be."

My optics widened at the implications, "Wait...you mean to tell me you found a way to live forever!?"

"Indeed, it's the better option than Lichhood or becoming a sort of undead. To me at least, I keep my good looks and my sanity." She bated her optics at me and leaned in with a smirk, "And you could have it too, my dear _thrall_, if you became my apprentice?"

I thought for a moment, this could be my only chance to learn more about magic and the Landers. To learn how to control this strange power and to maybe aid my Autobots in my work and maybe ...even win the war for them. But, then there were the drawbacks.

I would have to devote time to learn all of this, and be subservient to Cenotaph as she teaches me. And while my pride would never allow this in the first place...something about being under her guidance, being her apprentice, was enticing.

To have her power ...to do what she does...it's intoxicating how much I want that power, that control over my fate and life.

"Fine, if that is what it takes." I said, holding out my servo to her.

Her light violet optics surged with energy and power as she took my servo.

"Good, welcome aboard Ratchet, you'll make a fine Necromancer someday."

I smiled at the thought, "I can't wait to get started."

* * *

_No One's POV_

Everyone was up, and had noticed a change in the air. Cenotaph and Ratchet seemed more cool and distant, discussing things quietly away from the others while Bumblebee and Bulletta were quiet and away from the others as well.

No one was more concerned than Cliffjumper and Optimus.

After sometime, when Bulkhead and Arcee left to pick up the kids, including Sierra and the twins head out on an expedition to the north after a strange signal was pinpointed, did the two mechs corner the Scout and the Gunslinger alone.

"Bumblebee, Bulletta, we were wondering if something happened, you seem...distant." Optimus said, looking worried at his soldiers.

Each looked at each other, before Bulletta sighed and said in a tired voice.

"I ...had a mental breakdown last night."

Now both mechs stared with concern and worry even more so than before.

Cliffjumper asked, "Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?"

She frowned, "No, I don't want too."

Optimus narrowed his optics, it was really the first time she denied sharing information with them. But this was different, it was personal. Optimus placed a servo on her shoulder.

"Come with me, I want to speak with you alone."

She looked up at him with hidden terror behind her optics, she didn't know what he wanted but with reassuring glances from Bee and Cliff did she relent and nod her helm, following her leader down the halls.

They walked in silence for sometime, before coming upon the quarter section of the base. He input a code and the door opened, revealing a simple room with a berth, a desk, datapads and other small trinkets and this and that. The room was more decorated than she thought of the Prime, but then again, she never thought this would be happening.

He motioned for her to sit on the berth, silently she did so, her tail twitching in nervousness. His optics never leaving her face, even when he sat down across from her in a chair. For a moment, it was quiet, she didn't know how to start a conversation, but he started it for her.

"Bulletta, what caused this breakdown?"

It was a simple question with too many answers, she swam through them trying to make heads or tails of her wild and unchecked emotions, but she tried nevertheless.

"I...had a-a nightmare." She simply said, almost numb to her words as she stared at the floor.

He cocked his helm to the side, "A nightmare? What was it about?"

"Uh," She stuttered, "I-It was more like a-um, a m-memory, from a l-long time ago."

"I see. And something happened in this memory, enough to warrant a breakdown, tell me at your own pace about it." He encouraged on.

She nodded but still stared at the ground, "W-Well...it was a memory from my younger years, when I was living on the streets ...and something bad happened and I ...was alone...in the dark...all alone ...again."

Her emotions were beginning to numb like the rest of her frame, her servos twitched and shivered as she gripped her tail. The same feelings, the loneliness, the fear, the pain came flooding back in. Soon she started to lose herself to them, letting them consume her again.

That was, until something tight closed around her shoulders.

"Bulletta! Focus on my voice." The Prime urged as the gunslinger fell into another breaking point. Her optics unfocused and clouding with tears, her trembling frame and her venting becoming unstable.

That voice, one that had the same richness as _his_, broke through the barrier again.

"Bulletta, you are not alone, I am here. Don't think about those dark thoughts, let the good ones ground you." His words sounded similar to _his_ and broke the dream like state she was in.

She snapped to attention, her optics blinking into focus.

"You…" She said, more tears welling up, "Sound just like _him_…"

Optimus finally understood what she dreamt about, someone in her life was taken from her and she was forced to be alone. Someone who cared for her, a parental figure of sorts maybe, and she was fighting the spark crushing feelings of losing him and the loneliness that came with it.

"I understand the strain you are under, and or maybe I don't. But what I do know, is that I know loss. I know the pain of the spark, I know ...loneliness. But, you don't have to be _alone_ in this, you should never be. Because we are here to help, to listen and to soothe those feelings. Yes, they'll always be there, but with others surrounding you, that burden will lessen."

She strained her optics as tears began to fall, "How do you know?" She asked skeptically.

"I have lost my home, my brother and the one I loved. When I became Prime, everything changed. All my friends, my brother, became distant. I was seen as a figure-head, someone to respect and to listen too. But, that distance, created by such thoughts was very lonely. I felt like I had no one to turn to, and I too bottled up my feelings until I made a fatal error on the battlefield and snapped.'

Optimus sighed in shame, hanging his helm as he went on.

'I snapped, because of those bottled emotions. What happened on that day, I'll never forget, but what happened afterward I have forgotten. The numbness, the despair, the spark crushing emotions of the past years finally bubbled to the surface and it was too much. I remember waking up in a hospital, and the first person I saw was Ratchet.'

He smiled at the memory, unaware of the intent yellow optics staring at his bowed helm and slumped shoulders.

'He told me what had happened, and he asked 'Are you okay?'; and I finally accepted the fact that I wasn't. I poured my spark out to him, my oldest friend, about all that I had kept inside, all the emotions, thoughts of all those years. He was there, listened and never once said that having those emotions was wrong. He lifted the weight off my shoulders and set me back on the path, the right one ...and now you can too."

He fell into silence, now staring back with the intense optics. Bulletta just stared back, amazed that the stoic Prime was so different and less scary than she imagined.

She sighed, "It's easier for you than it is me." She couldn't tell him, Alchemist would have a fit if she did, and she already told Cliffjumper everything. She didn't need another helm to keep track in this growing cabal of stars.

"You don't have to tell me."

Her optics widened in surprise, "But you said-"

He cut her off, "I told someone that I trusted the most with those feelings and thoughts, I may not be that person, but maybe someone else can be."

Optimus let those words hang in the air, letting the gunslinger soak it all in.

He was right, she did have someone she trusted with her thoughts, two someones. But only one knew the whole story, and only he would understand now given the passage of time and his acceptance towards the new reality opened to him.

_Maybe it was time to have a one-on-one chat with Cliffjumper…_

* * *

_Cenotaph's POV_

As we made the final preparations for heading to my secret lab to beginning my new _apprentice's_ training when the twins had called back with a discovery. We put our plans on hold and bridged them, both mechs dragging in a large metal ball of shorts.

Placing it in a hanger, we let it sit and melt before Ratchet got to work defrosting the twins.

"This really isn't necessary doc, I feel fine." Sunstreaker complained again.

Ratchet chidded them, "Ep, ep, ep, this is standard procedure defrosting, it this weren't done you may have permanent damage due to the cold weather!"

"Besides," I remarked with a smile, "We don't need _twin-sciles_, now do we?"

Sideswipe crackled with laughter at the pun while Sunstreaker groaned and scowled at me.

"Ha, I knew keeping you around was gonna be good!" Sideswipe said, giving me a goofy grin.

"Well, even if you tried to get rid of me you'd have a hard time. I'm not so easily persuaded when I have my processor set."

"Right…" Sunstreaker groaned out sarcastically.

I raised an eyebrow, "You have something to say, Sunstreaker?"

His optics widened, then narrowed before looking away in steamy silence.

I ignored him for now, I had noticed this odd and withdrawn behavior since I came here, wondered what caused it?

"Alright, you're all done." Ratchet said, detaching the tubes from them and setting the twins free.

Sideswipe stretched and beamed at the doc, "Thanks! Now, I can finally take a load off!"

Sunstreaker simply didn't say anything and walked off in a huff. I stared at the back of his helm as he walked away, I think someone needs to let off some steam, and the way he's doing it now isn't working ...a later me problem though.

Turning back to Ratchet, he was busy himself with trying to analyze whatever was in that pod.

While working, he said, "This may take some time, Cenotaph, I don't think we can start today, as much as it pains me to admit it."

"You just wanted to see my lab, didn't you?" I smirked, leaning against the console staring at his concentrated blue optics.

"Yes, while that would be great, I was also looking forward to our lessons." He said with a mild hesitation.

"Good to know I have a student who is passionate about learning the dark arts as I am. But, I need to get things done back at my place so I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you. After all, at one point I promised to show Bulletta around my lab as well."

That last part was what caught his attention, and yes, it was a lie, somewhat.

"Wait, Bulletta knows about your lab?" He gave an incredulous look.

"Femme's and subsequently fellow Landers, talk my _thrall_. She was also able to quickly pick up on the fact that I'm a Necromancer, since she's from the Countless Lands. So yes, I'm taking Bulletta to the lab and no, she doesn't yet know of our new apprenticeship."

I stood straight back up, and started fishing for my groundbridge controller.

"Yet?" He asked.

"Well yes, she'll find out eventually after all she is a follower of Ioun and those bastards see through everything and one." I growled out before sighing, "Eventually, Me, You and Bulletta will all be in the loop, pending on if anyone else is to join this secret circle from Bulletta's side. I'm actually considering bringing in Rafael into the fold as well."

His optics widened in surprise, "A human?! And no less a child?! Why?"

"He has his uses…." I left the statement hanging in the air as I saw Bulletta and Optimus Prime re-enter the room, as soon as they did, Arcee and Bulkhead returned from picking the kids up and Bumblebee and Cliffjumper appeared out of nowhere.

The kids piled out/off of the bots laughing and cheering, seemed like they had a good time.

Sierra looked to Bulletta with a questioning look once she spotted her, "Hey, why didn't you pick me up?"

Bulletta's optics widened and she smacked her helm, "I'm sorry Sierra….I completely forgot."

She waved it off, "No biggie, just wondering what's going on!" But, I could tell it bothered her, she waved it off the unnaturally, definitely something brewing there.

Ratchet sighed in annoyance, "What are the human children doing here? Shouldn't they be in school?"

Miko scoffed, "It's Saturday, we have the weekend off to spend with you." She smiled wickedly as Sideswipe and Sunstreaker came back into the main room.

Ratchet mumbled, "Primus kill me…."

I whispered, "I'd raise you back from the dead if that happened…."

He shuddered slightly and huffed, turning his back to me and began working back at the console.

"So, any luck in the arctic?" Arcee asked the twins.

"Indeed," Ratchet called out, pulling a camera on the melting pod, "We uncovered this, there may be possibly more in the arctic and since I can't open this one yet, we should search for any more pods."

Optimus nodded his helm, "Then we'll send a search party."

I interjected, "Well, it isn't going to me or Bulletta, we have plans."

Optimus looked intrigued at me, "And what does that entail?"

I weighed my options for a split second before coming to choice, "If you must know, I want to test some spells and I need a big space for them. Bulletta is coming with because she doesn't trust my magic not hurting someone, even though we'll be in the middle of nowhere."

Lying to a Prime, a leader, is nothing new. After all, politics were basically lies and counter-lies constructed to either makes us feel secure or throw us for a loop. It was a big risk, since this was Optimus Prime who seemed as though he could tell what was going through a bots helm, but it was a calculated risk.

He gave me a stern look, before looking to Bulletta who was looking between us, I gave her a quick glare before he asked.

"Is this true, Bulletta?"

She quickly nodded her helm, not saying a word, _good._

He turned back, "Very well, then Arcee, come with me. And Cenotaph, take Cliffjumper with you."

_He doesn't trust me, interesting._

"Very well." I answered and stared at the two and motioned for them to follow me to the lift to the top of the mesa.

As we made our way I could tell something was wrong with Bulletta, she seemed exhausted and worn down. It was something to keep a close tab on for now. Entering the elevator we rose to the top, until coming up on a bright sunny day _...I hate sunny days. _

"Alright, what are we doing here?" Cliffjumper asked, looking skeptically at me.

"Yeah, I thought we were going out into the middle of nowhere?" Bulletta also asked.

I scoffed, "First off, we can't drive anywhere as I am incapable of transformation. And second off….." I trailed off, now realizing I had a problem, Cliffjumper.

"Wait," Bulletta asked, "You can't transform?"

"Does it look like I have wheels or wings?" I sarcastically asked.

Cliffjumper shook his helm, "Alright, Cenotaph, is this related to your mission from the Primes?"

…

…

_...huh, well that's shocking…_

"You told him?" I asked slowly, pointing at the mech in disbelief.

Bulletta shifted her peds, "...maybe…" Her nervousness quickly took over as her tail swished quickly.

I laughed, both looked confused, "Ah, I knew you wouldn't be able to keep your mouth shut forever, you Iounians are all the same! Well, I guess that means that I don't have to knock you out for where we're going."

Now both were confused.

"And where's that?" Bulletta asked, almost afraid it seemed.

A groundbridge opened right in front of me, I turned to them with a devious smile.

"Let me show instead of tell."

* * *

_No One's POV_

The lab was quiet, the sounds of the jungle above filtered in from above as the day-creatures were out during the sunny day of the jungle above. Suddenly, a groundbridge opened up and stepping through were the Cybertronian and the two Landers.

Bulletta and Cliffjumper marveled at the room, the sinkhole ceiling let in fresh air of the jungle and the sounds of animals conversing above in the sunlight. Equipment and tools were everywhere and strangely, a large mirror on one wall. More tunnels led deeper into the lab.

"Woah, this amazing ...how did you get it?" Bulletta asked Cenotaph who walked around the central raised stone table.

"Quintus Prime was more than willing to accommodate me." She said with a sly smirk.

"So ...what's this about?" Cliffjumper asked.

Bulletta and Cenotaph explained it, everything including the fact that now there were two Landers with the Decepticons and that the Primes have a brand for them, that still needed to be implemented.

"...And that's why we are truly here, for me and Bulletta to get those marks and any of those associated as well." Cenotaph ended her explanation.

"But what if someone catches on? I mean, if I change my badge in anyway I am immediately called out, right?" He asked.

It was true, if any others other than Landers were seen with the wings, they'd be labeled conspirators ...which they were. Cenotaph knew they needed a work around, someway to hide it in plain sight.

"I don't think we can brand him, it would be too risky." Bulletta said with a defeated look.

Cenotaph hummed, "Maybe...I could make a device to hide your true form, like a _Seeming_ spell, which is possible if I were a student in the School of Enchantment. But alas, I am not, which means we may need a more technological approach, any ideas Bulletta?"

"Well, I could craft basically a holoform but instead of looking human it would go over your entire body and only change one thing. But, if someone were to touch you, then you may be exposed. Maybe hardlight? Like a solid holoform?"

Bulletta's mind was racing with possible ways of how to accomplish such a task, and to be asked of her expertise in inventions by Cenotaph actually lightened the view she had of the magic user, if only slightly.

"Maybe we need a simpler approach?" Cliffjumper asked, both femmes looked to the red mech. "I mean, what if it was invisible, Miko recently showed me something called invisible ink ...I'm beginning to wonder if she may have used it…."

All of them decided to ignore the possibility of an invisible ink prank that was pulled off potential by Miko with no one knowing, and focus back on topic.

"I see what you are saying, and yes, this could be a solution." Bulletta said thoughtfully, "I bet you I can develop my own invisible ink but instead of ink, it'd be paint. Then, we can paint it on and if barring any UV-lights, no one would know they were there."

Cenotaph smiled as she said, "So, like an invisible tattoo?"

"Exactly, but this paint will be permanent, which means, it can't be covered up by new paint, it will always shine through. Is that something you are alright with Cliffjumper?" Bulletta asked, looking at Cliffjumper who held a gleeful smile.

"This sounds awesome, and no one will think to shine UV-light on us because...well WHY?" He laughed before going on, "But if we add anymore people than they'll have to be cool with it too."

"That's the thing, we are adding more into this cabal, more than you." Cenotaph said, focusing on the table a small red glyph appeared in her servo and a projection appeared on the table showing a smaller version of Cliffjumper. "But, I wish to discuss that with everyone currently in the Falling Stars to be here or well, at least together somewhere."

She twisted her servo once more and the image of Cliff disappeared and was replaced with images of Cenotaph and Bulletta.

"We need to gather all of us in the same place at a safe location without either side noticing. So, we'll need to make contact somehow as spells only get so far. I have a proposal for the first meeting, and it involves magic, are you alright with that, 'Letta?" Cenotaph asked sweetly.

Bulletta frowned, "Fine, and don't call me 'Letta, you don't have that privilege yet."

"Very well," Cenotaph said, rolling her optics, "Anyways, I was thinking of using the spell Dream. If I know who they are and what they look like I can pull any creature into a dream that I have created, this will be our meeting space."

"So, what's the hold up? You already told us before that you spied on the new member so shouldn't that be enough?" Cliffjumper asked.

"Yes, but I don't know her name nor have I ever seen the other…."

"But I have seen Moonfall, and she's not in a position to talk. Not after taking an explosion to the face like that." Bulletta said, frowning as she remembered that day.

"Wait, you don't think she's dead?" Cliff asked.

Bulletta shook her helm, "No, the Primes picked us for a reason, so then we let her die so soon? It makes no sense."

"_She's right ...you know." _A new voice said, her withered and whispery voice echoing through the chamber.

All helms snapped up to the voice and a delightful smile spread across Cenotaph's face, while Bulletta looked on in horror and shock and Cliffjumper, speechlessness.

Floating a few feet off the ground, in the center of the hole that let the sunlight in and jungle above to be visible, was Moonfall. She was ghostly, her armor was destroyed, her body marred with burn marks and holes, especially one where her spark should be, where only a large purple crystal impaled her now. Her optics were pure black with purple dots in them and around her helm was blood red thin wires almost like human hair that was floating as if in water.

Her mouth never opened, but her voice spoke through, a horrible sound it was.

"_It's a pleasure to meet you...face to face."_ Her voice bothered both Bulletta and Cliffjumper who cringed, but Cenotaph was unaffected.

The necromancer smiled, "Ah, and what brings a lovely ghost such as yourself here dear?"

Moonfall's head snapped unnaturally towards her, it unfazed the pale femme.

"_I have come bearing knowledge,"_ She floated down until she was mere centimeters from the table. "_Listen well, I will NOT repeat myself. I indeed live, but have been temporarily shunted from my body, thus how I am here. Someone guards my prison, and he is worthy of working with us. He is Starscream, and he is the perfect candidate for entry into the Falling Stars. As well, the new femme, is named Nerium. She is a Gnome Druid, gifted with storm and mountain magic and has a companion named Wendigo, a golden eagle minicon. When this first meeting is conducted, I will be there, but you must bring in not only Starscream, but Cliffjumper, and the ones Cenotaph plans to bring in, Ratchet and Rafael." _

"Wait, you wanna bring in Ratchet and Rafael?" Bulletta looked at Cenotaph in suspicion and surprise.

"_SILENCE!" _Moonfall screeched, her form becoming slightly distorted and deformed before returning to normal.

Then Moonfall went on, "_Not only shall Starscream, Ratchet and Rafael be brought into this cabal, but one other, another Decepticon to keep balance. I have received word of who the finally Satellite Member shall be from the Primes themselves; he shall be Breakdown, but, will not join until a certain event has passed and you _will _know what it is when it happens. In order for this meeting to occur I have given Cenotaph coordinates and instructions on her personal computer to arrange a meeting with Starscream in person to set it all up."_

She was silent for a moment, she looked back up as if something caught her attention. Moonfall looked back down and said once more.

"_I must take my leave now, Starscream is in need of me. But know this; we aren't the only ones conspiring in this war, others wish our downfall and both Autobots and Decepticons plan and plot against each other. This is a delicate dance, but if we succeed, then we shall bring order and peace to this universe once and for all...thank you all for your sacrifice to this cause,_ till the stars are one."

And then she was gone in a flash of light, streaking up into the sky.

A silence filled the lab beneath the jungle before Cenotaph broke it.

"Well, this just got interesting."

* * *

_In the Middle of the Unknown Jungle Several Hours Later…_

_Cenotaph's POV_

I stood silently at the edge of the clearing in this thick jungle, the humidity was really something but I ignored it to the best of my abilities to smile at the recent events. Everything that has happened today, couldn't have been any better.

Especially seeing Moonfall in her ghostly form, specters were some of my favorite of undead, especially since they were so varied.

But, she reveled something important. Several things actually.

First, was the fact that she was shunted from her body in a prison. Which meant she was transferred using a powerful necromancy spell called Magic Jar. All that needed to happen was for the 'jar' to be broken near her body and she would return, not necessarily wake up, but have a better chance too depending on how broken she is.

Second, was the fact that she was still in communication with the Primes and that they already know who will join our little cabal later on. This Breakdown fellow, I'm curious about him, I wonder what he is like.

But, that is something for later as now, I blip appears on my radar.

I sent out a pulse, as instructed by Moonfall and wait.

Finally, I hear the jet coming towards the clearing and landing in the middle with a graceful touch down, is Starscream. The first thing I noticed with a very transparent specter of Moonfall next to him, always next to him. However, her form was different now, it was refined, her armor was smooth and upgraded, her red wire hair more tame and short and overall, she looked normal.

He scanned the forest around until he stopped, staring at me. I made my optics brighter and let the glow pierce the darkness. He gasped and stumbled back, Moonfall never leaving his side.

"W-Whose there?!" He shouted, I could tell he was afraid but Moonfall made no such thing, staring blankly at me, she was different from before, like she was….

I laughed at the realization, and it unsettled the Seeker but not the dead femme. Of course, I understood the difference between her form and that other one. That other one, was her true form, and this was her fake form, her presentation to Starscream even if he couldn't see her. She was trying to make herself appealing to him, like she was afraid of him finding out the truth.

Finally, I stepped out of the jungle and into the light of the night. He studied me well, like any good soldier but clearly he was even more afraid now than before.

I put on a pleasant smile to ease tensions, "Ah, Starscream, so you've finally come."

His optics slowly stopped, as he stared at my brand new insignia. I had it put on after Moonfall left my lab, it stung a little still but I wore it with pride, Bulletta also got her wings as well. But his optics widened in terror and a hint of hate.

"Y-You ...are an Autobot!" He hissed pulling his weapons.

I remained unintimidated, the poor mech was so much smaller than me. I could crush him in a bear hug.

"Oh? But I thought you wanted my aid? Or is that spirit clinging to your spark something you just had since you were made?" I said, looking at Moonfall who shifted slightly under my gaze.

He froze for a moment, comprehending the words.

"H-How….?" His weapons lowered

Smiling I said, "I am what you seek, Starscream, Moonfall. I am the Unholy Mistress, I am Cenotaph."

"You are ...so you can help then?!" His weapons gone, a hopeful expression graced his face for a moment.

Nodding I went on, "Of course, but first you must help me. I need you to give a message to the Lander Gnome."

"Wait, you mean Nerium? How do you know her?" He asked, confused. Moonfall shifted beside him, almost uncomfortable.

"Don't ask questions that you don't want answers too." I said slamming the staff in my servos down and blowing him back slightly with the wind, "Now, for the message; tell Nerium to open up her mind and the stars shall align."

He looked confused, "What kind of message is that?"

"Tell her this and she will understand, and since you are so involved as well...do the same." I said, already having enough of this conversation and turning to walk back to my lab.

"Involved in what?" He asked, I stopped for a moment.

"You will soon know, you will see the true reason for us being here. You will see the stars align and when you do, you shall align with them too. In the process, you will betray your own faction and join a great cause, with others; the Apprentice, the Wrecker, the Hacker and the Saved One will be traitors like you, and together we shall build the greatest constellation this world has ever seen."

I didn't know where those titles came from, but I didn't care anymore and tried again to walk away

"When should we be ready?" He called out.

Stopping again I looked at him slightly, "Always be ready, never be not ready."

And faster than I wanted, I walked back into the jungle, ready to call it a day.

But as I was walking back, my Comm. came on.

It was Bulletta.

"What is it?" I asked.

"**Cenotaph, you need to get here, the bots are in bad shape."**


	14. Sparks

**_A/N: Heyo, we are back! This new chapter was a delight to write and I hope it is to read. We pick up right after the last chapter where we see how Cliffjumper and Bulletta find a battered Autobot team, as well, things get spicy in the romance department in this chappy! Enjoy the show_**

_Chapter 14-Sparks_

_Bulletta's POV_

We walked out of the portal and onto the night sky on top of the base. Cliffjumper sighing as he stretched his limbs, slight popping noises as he stretched echoed out and I cringed a little. But, as I stood here, alone with Cliffjumper, I realized this was the best chance to have that chat I wanted beforehand.

"Hey, Cliff?" I asked, he looked at me curiously, "Can I ask you something personal?"

He chuckled, "Of course, I mean we are friends aren't we?"

I smiled a little, the notion of having a new friend was sparkwarming to me.

"Right, right. Anyways, I was wondering...do you ever feel...like the world is on your shoulders? And no matter what you do, nothing relieves it and it keeps building until it explodes in destructive outbursts?"

I cringed to myself for the strange question as I watch Cliffjumper's reaction, who at first seemed surprised or shocked? And then he sighs and looking at me with a now curious but worried smile he asks.

"This is about what happened the other night, isn't it?"

I sighed and scrunched my face in disgust, "Yeah...it is."

"Bulletta, you shouldn't shove your feelings like that down, it will only destroy you and I've seen many good friends go down that path, heck, I saved my current partner from going down that path. And those I couldn't help, well, I never saw them again once they ran like mad-mechs into battlefields on suicide runs of their own volition."

He looked over the edge to the landscape, going on in my silence.

"If you ever feel like the world is about to come crashing down on you, or it's just too much for you, know that I and the rest of us are here for you. And if it is too hard for you to talk about it, write it down, always helped me."

My optics widened, "Wait, you deal with the same thing?"

He laughed, looking at me with a gleam in his optic, "Of course, no one is immune."

"Everyone has their demons I suppose." I said, my servo covering my mouth.

"I bet you even Decepticons have demons too, but that's just my personal opinion." Cliffjumper said, turning towards the elevator and waiting for me to get on.

I smiled, chuckling a little, "Well yeah, if any of the other Landers are messed up like I am, and they are because they are adventurers, than your theory will hold weight."

I jumped up next to him, activating it we slowly descended, as we did he asked.

"You believe the other Landers are like you in that sense?"

I nodded, "Yeah. Pretty much every adventurer is out there for a reason either petty or personal. Many have had hard lives and struggle with physical and mental problems. It's what pushed them out of their home, out of safety and sometimes family, into the world of consistent battle, glory and death."

"What pushed you to be an adventurer?" We reached the bottom level and stepped out.

"Several reasons, the biggest one was my duty to my goddess, Ioun. But really, I was tired of being in the same place, stuck doing the same thing. I craved more than just being a librarian and an inventor, I wanted passion and excitement in my life, and I wanted friends, a family to call my own."

Cliffjumper smiled, "Well, you got that and more right here. I just hope you keep that in mind when the darkness starts to close in."

I looked up at him hopefully, "Thank you, for everything."

He waved it off silently, but before he could say anything a sound of metal tinking on our peds alerted us to something on the ground. We finally noticed a scattering of thousands of small orbs with tiny legs and big dead optics, many of them torn apart, smashed or completely crushed.

Grabbing one, I held it up to my optic.

"What is-"

"SCRAPLET!" Cliffjumper screeched, cutting me off as he backed away in terror.

For a moment I stared at him confused, before my Atheneum informed me of what a Scraplet was. Gasping I quickly dropped it like it was the plague and backing away from the dead sea of Scraplets in front of us.

"How did they get in here!?" Cliffjumper yelled in terror and horror, staring at any of them for movement.

I thought for a moment, before I flash came across my mind.

"THE POD!" I looked to Cliff, "It was a trap, meant for us. But ...if they are dead, does that mean ours is alive?"

Cliffjumper shook his helm, "No way they could've survived!"

"Expect they did." A small voice called out, I looked down and too my left to see Sierra standing there. She looked a little out of breath but not a scratch on her. She had a sympathetic smile and turned waving her hand.

"Come on, we need a bots help to get everyone better again."

She led us to the main hall, where damage was now evident and scarplet corpses were everywhere...Cenotaph is gonna have a field day if she can get at least a dozen of this little monster under her undeath control. I shuddered at the thought and pushed it aside as the bots came into view.

Each and every one of them were in the Med-Bay, and they didn't look good.

Optimus and Arcee were suffering from cold inflicted wounds, and the rest of them look like someone dropped them into the mouth of a Gibbering Mouther and then pulled them out before they were killed.

Slowly I put my digit to my Comm link to the necromancer.

"Cenotaph, you need to get here, the bots are in bad shape."

* * *

_Cenotaph's POV_

I rushed towards the main hall, taking note of the strange orbs destroyed across the base and the fact that the base was in itself in shambles. My spark raced erratically, it had never done that before. And my mind, it raced with thoughts, but it mostly centered around Ratchet.

I didn't know why, but the thought of him hurt angered me.

I skidded into the main hall and rounded the corner into the Med-Bay and I stopped in my tracks. My vents were heaving as I stared at the surprised looks of everyone. Bulletta and Cliffjumper with the kids were in the middle of stabilizing everyone it seemed.

Ratchet shook out of his daze once he saw my state.

"Cenotaph, is there any magic of yours that can help?" His voice was even and toned, he was in medical professional mode.

I quickly shook my helm, frowning, "No, I'm a wizard Ratchet, not a Cleric unfortunately. But, fortunately, my 'former' job does give me skills non magical that can help."

I began making rounds around the room, seeing what each bot needed in need of medical attention. Due to the fact that I am a Necromancer, I need to know medical knowledge in order to understand how my magic works, in essence I am basically a medic, though with not the wealth of knowledge that Ratchet has as an actually one.

I made sure that Optimus and Arcee's temperature steadily went up and that their systems were working correctly. With the others, I made sure leaking wounds were patched, systems working and mesh restored. Of course I didn't do this alone, that would be impossible. With the help of the kids and Bulletta and Cliffjumper we managed to stabilize everyone and get some needed Energon into all of them after fixing the leaks.

I tended to the person who insisted on being treated last, Ratchet.

His wounds weren't too terrible, but with some problematic leaks I knew he must have felt worse than he looked. As I took care of the last leak, something caught my attention.

Looking up at Ratchet I could see a strange expression written across his face.

Confusion? Curiosity? Enchantment?! I couldn't tell if it was any of those things, or all of them.

I deadpanned, "What?"

He blinked, staring at me with a stupefied expression, "I...where did you learn to do that?"

"Oh please, magic can only get you so far and before I had it, I had this." I said with a frown, moving over to grab an Energon cube and passing it to him.

He drank some of it before asking again, "I didn't think-"

"There are more things to life than magic, _Ratchet_." I silenced him with a low growl, I looked at the others, distracted with each other or simply asleep resting before leaning in and whispering, "Consider that your first lesson in magic, my _thrall_. There is more to life and life's problems than magic, you'll need more than just that to survive in this shit stain of a world, _understand_?"

I leaned back, his optics were wide with a flurry of emotions but he silently nodded. I grunted before taking my leave, making sure my cloak behind me smacked him good as I left in hurried steps.

For some reason my spark hurt at the idea of him only thinking I was all magic.

I wasn't a one-note character, and my magic doesn't define me.

My past does, and I'll be damned if anyone thinks less of me for it.

* * *

_Ratchet's POV_

I sat there in silence, watching her leave and feeling the sting of the cloak as it hit me when she turned away from me. I silently berated myself, of course, I'm such a one-track minded fool! My spark clenched in sorrow and self-hate.

I clenched my Energon tighter, as I stared at where she was.

"Hey, you okay?" A voice caught my attention.

Looking to my right I see Bulletta staring at me with a concerned expression.

"I'm fine." I said, going back to look at where she was.

I heard her scoff, "I saw that exchange, and I heard what she said."

My optics raced to meet hers, I had forgotten about Bulletta's uncanny ability to hear from a distance. My spark raced in fear as she came to sit next to me.

"So, you are her apprentice?" She asked.

I stared hard into my Energon, "...yeah…"

She crossed her legs, "Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

I frowned, "Why's that?"

She hummed, "Because, you were so interested to learn of my people, I can see why you would want to learn magic. It's a strange new field for you, something you have yet to explore, and the fact that Cenotaph is willing to teach you is something."

I finally looked to her, trying to stay calm, "And yet, I think I've already failed."

She rolled her eyes, "I may not know a lot about magic, nor trust it, but I understand that it takes time. Like everything else, time and energy have to be put into it to learn it. No one becomes a master of their craft in a day, and I think you know that deep down too."

"But, I misjudged her, I only thought of her as a way to get to magic ...I was inconsiderate."

She laughed, "I don't think you should be telling me that, Ratchet. But understand, nothing on the surface is what it seems below."

Then she walked away, I watched as she went to tend to Bumblebee.

I frowned, and went back to where Cenotaph was. I wished I could find her and say what I want to say, but my entire frame was damaged and in repair, I needed to rest and against my will, my optics offlined and I fell into recharge.

* * *

_Bumblebee's POV_

I sighed, rubbing the sore mesh as I rested. It had been a long day, and one I didn't ever want to repeat. I noticed Bulletta silently talking to Ratchet who seemed distraught after Cenotaph walked off and into the base. Before long she sat up with a small smile before walking up to me with a slowly growing worried smile.

"How are you doing?" She asked, coming to sit next to me and placing her servo on my own.

I restarted my voice box and tried to keep my spark calm.

_"I-uh, I-I'm fine."_

She raised her brow, "Really? I thought someone who faced down creatures that devour ones metal would not be doing so well, so please, don't lie to me."

I looked away from her in shame, _"Sorry, I just didn't want to...add more things onto your plate."_

"Right, well, I'm not the only person in the world that needs tending too. I can tell what happened today bothers you, doesn't it?" She asked, her servo clenching onto me.

I was about to deny her when I stopped. The flashes of those horrid things flashed across my sight, I could feel them crawling all over me and the horrible whirling in my audios. It felt like they were still there, still gnawing at my metal. And it felt like it would never end.

_"I…"_ I choked out.

Bulletta wrapped her tail around and made it push my helm to face her.

Her yellow optics glowing with understanding and concern.

"Bumblebee, you said you'd be there for me but in reality I should also be there for you. And today, I failed you in that aspect, so I promise I will try my hardest to be by your side." She smiled lightly, "Because in the end, I care about you just as much as you care for me, it seems only fair."

I stared at her in surprise, I shouldn't have been surprised though. She was a tough femme, and she was the type to not take without giving back. Her will was unbreakable in this aspect and made her even more great in my optics.

My spark swelled with emotions, _"I...thank you, Bulletta."_

Her smile warmed even more, "No need Bee, I just...I don't want to see you hurt as well, and I want to repay what you have done for me." She was silent for a moment before realization came over her, "Hmm, it's getting late, I'm going to take the kids home, gets some rest alright?"

I nodded, _"Not a problem there."_ I laughed a little to myself.

She chuckled, "Good."

Bulletta squeezed my servo again before standing and letting go of my servo, silently I lamented her servo leaving mine, making it feel empty and cold. It looked like she was debating something in her helm for a moment before she suddenly leaned down and…

My whole world stopped, as I felt her lips on my fore-helm.

Suddenly everything was too hot and my spark sang wildly as a rush of euphoria hit my systems. Even though it was mere seconds, it felt like hours. She did retreat back, quickly turning away and heading out of the room. I just stared at where she stood, I could still feel her on me, I brushed lightly on fore-helm and released a pent up vent of hot air, relishing in the moment for a while longer before falling into recharge.

* * *

_Bulletta's POV_

…

…

…

_WHAT IN THE NINE HELLS DID I JUST DO!? _

That was my entire thought process as I drove the children home for the night. I didn't really focus on their conversations with one another, something about meeting up back at school for something on Monday. As I dropped everyone off my cab becoming quieter, until Sierra and Rafael were left.

I pulled up to Sierra's home, "Here we are, I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked.

Sierra shook her head, "Sorry, my _Mother _wants me to go shopping again for new clothes and I can't get out of it, so it'll have to be Monday."

"Right, good luck." I said, Sierra hopped out and waved goodbye to Raf before I sped off.

As we drove across town I remembered what Moonfall had said earlier, about Cenotaph wanting to bring Raf into the fold. I still had my doubts, but to be honest, having a human know the lay of the land here would be helpful and if we were found out, no one would suspect him, after all he's just a kid.

"Hey, Raf?" I asked, gaining the tired boys attention. "I was wondering if you could do something for me?"

Now I had his attention, a curious gleam sparkled in his eyes, "Really? What is it?"

"I need you to have an open mind."

His face furrowed into confusion, "I...don't get it."

I chuckled, "Just...when you go to sleep tonight, have an open mind, alright?"

He looked apprehensive before sighing and saying, "Sure, but why?"

"Lets just say there are some stars I'd like you to see tonight." I said, pulling up to his home.

He got out and looked at me in jeep form, "But wouldn't I need to be awake for that?"

I closed the door and chuckled, "Not the same type of stars I'm talkin about, Raf."

Then I drove away into the night, ready to hit the hay back at base and get this meeting on with. I just hope Ratchet has an open mind, and that the Decepticon Landers and Satellites are as well.

* * *

_Cenotaph's POV_

I rubbed my helm as an ache started to form, I was getting ready to cast the spell but then remembered I didn't tell Ratchet to open his damned, amazing, mind! GODS, I hate myself sometimes. So here I am marching back to where everyone was recovering in the Med-Bay.

I step back into a somewhat quiet Med-Bay, just the sounds of the sleep bots and machines working to help heal them and keep track of their vitals was the only sound in here. In fact, some of their sleeping poses were great blackmail.

But, that isn't my focus right now.

I turned my helm to where I left Ratchet before, to see him in recharge….

_...great, just great…_

Sighing, I raised the staff alighting it with a warm purple glow, slowly it surrounded Ratchet. He seemed to resist for a moment before returning to his deep sleep as he slowly lifted into the air, using the spell _Telekinesis_, I started walking down the halls to the sight of the ritual.

I made sure he didn't hit anything on the way to the storage room where I had set up. Finally, I made it and closed the door behind us. I floated him into the middle of the magic circle that was drawn on the floor in this room where I slowly put him on the floor, careful not to agitate his wounds.

Now I just had to wait for Bulletta.

As I waited, I simply stared at the mech on the floor.

The earlier conversation made my spark roil with emotions, mostly spite and anger, but an underlining of sadness and doubt. I sighed, trying to force away the bubbling emotions that reminded me so much of my old self, something I promised to forget about.

But...I couldn't.

_Harsh snow….pain...harsh purple eyes...a flash of a bladed whip..a scream_

NO, no, no, not going there, not again.

Gods, I can't believe this, this mech of all people able to make me relive a past I wish to forget. Ha….

_...then he must be special…_

"C-Cenotaph…?"

I gasped and blinked away my dazed optics to look at the source of the voice. There, staring up at me was Ratchet, with that same stupefied look.

He looked around before asking, "Where am I? And...what's this?" He said looking around at the magic circle.

I felt my spark suddenly surge wildly and I could feel my cooling systems kick in.

"W-When did you wake up!?" I yelled a little too loud.

He stared at me in surprise, "Uh…"

I groaned and shook my helm, "Grah, nevermind!"

"Right…" He said eyeing me, "Anyways, explain, now?" It wasn't harsh, but curious.

I huffed, straightening myself and regained my composure.

"Of course, you are sitting in the magic circle for the spell Dream, you and I as well as a couple of others are going to a secretive meeting. Where you will learn the truth, about everything that's just under the surface. You just need to keep an open mind, can you do that for me thrall?" I said with my usual smirk.

"Wait, what!?" He seemed doubly confused.

I rolled my optics, "Just...keep an open mind, alright?"

He frowned, "I...suppose I could do that for you, as repayment."

I froze, "Repayment?" I looked to him, caught off guard once more.

He looked down, a dark cloud seemed to form over him.

"I was wrong, before I mean. I shouldn't have judged before like that, it was shortsighted of myself. Autobots shouldn't judge others just by their one skill...I'm truly sorry…"

Then there was silence.

I just stared at the mech, I couldn't believe what I was hearing and yet…

_Ratchet's POV_

I sat there, waiting to hear her response. When I had onlined, I had noticed that I was not in the Med-Bay, then I saw the culprit is none other than Cenotaph herself. But, without her knowing I was awake, she seemed like a different person, she was more….raw I suppose, I saw emotions I never thought she had. And that reminded me horribly of my earlier mistake.

So, I apologized.

My spark was running wild with what she could answer with, I didn't know what her reaction was going to be. Honestly, I am afraid. Especially when I awoke here, I thought she had cast a spell on me other something, but apparently not, another misconception of her, it just proves that I need to mend my thinking about her.

But, the silence seemed to drag on forever.

I looked up to her, only to see something I had never seen before.

She was...struggling. Cenotaph was staring down at me with an unsure expression that kept morphing to emotions so fast I couldn't track them. For the first time in a long time, I think, she was at a loss of words.

"Cenotaph?" I asked, trying to snap her back to reality.

She shook her helm, grasping it and turning away.

Her vents were struggling and her cooling systems were working overtime.

"...thank you…" She whispered.

"I-uh...Cenotaph, are you okay?" I asked, unsure of this strange and new behavior.

She cleared her vocalizer and turned with a small smile with a glint in her optics. The glint of appreciation.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking. I've never really thought anyone was capable of...well...seeing through my surface levels." She looked away, gripping her white staff tightly.

I smiled and slowly stood, even though it was painful. I grunted through it though, Cenotaph looked back surprised and worried.

"What do you think you are doing!?" She softly yelled, I had never heard her voice so commanding yet soft before that it sent shivers down my spinal strut.

"I-I didn't want to be in the way...when you cast the spell." I said, looking at the magic circle beneath my peds.

She sighed, "You wouldn't be, besides you should be resting!"

Suddenly, I felt my leg give out under me and suddenly the world tilted forward at a rapid pass. I offlined my optics, grunting and groaning as I fell down on top of something, I could hear a demur squeak from somewhere and then, everything was still.

Slowly, I onlined my optics once more and came to sight of an eclipsed sun with the Autobot symbol that had wings on it. I was slightly confused, I had never seen such a symbol before and I would've remembered it.

Then, I felt it.

A rapid sparkbeat beneath my helm, and the warming of metal.

I looked up faster than lightning to see Cenotaph looking down at me with a surprised, embarrassed expression. Her entire faceplate was a strange purple color, as well as the rest of her protoform, her black tattoo symbols glowing faintly with a pink hue.

That's when I came to the realization….that I was laying on top of her!

"Gah!" I shouted propping myself up with my arms, I could feel my cooling systems kicking harder than before and I could swear my spark felt like it was on fire.

"I-I-I...It was an accident….Uh...I-I mean that I didn't…." I bumbled out, never finding the right words.

Then, I felt two large clawed servos wrap around my helm then violently pull me down back to where I was on her. She hummed with satisfaction, which vibrated down my entire frame and straight into my spark which hummed back in pleasure.

"_A-Ah,_ C-C-Ceno...taph?" I shuttered out, my servos coming to rest beside her, even though that's not what they desired.

She hummed again, she leaned down and whispered into my audio.

"Consider this a reward, for being better than any other mech that's graced my presence." She growled passionately, I shudder again uncontrollable. "Come on, now my _Thrall_, enjoy your reward to the fullest."

One of her servos let go of my helm, and reached down grabbing my servo that shook from planting itself away from her. She guided it to her neck where her bare protoform was exposed. She released my servo just above her, I shook in apprehension before giving in and lightly touched her violet glowing protoform.

She hummed deeper into my audio, clearly it was a sensitive spot for her as she leaned into my touch.

"Keep going…" She sighed, lust dripping from her words.

Without her help, my other servo found its way to her side.

I just...offlined my optics, and just...let myself go. I let my servos dance and explore while I just enjoyed the smell and feel of her...without as much armor as the others, she was softer to the touch, something I deeply missed and enjoyed about her.

Cenotaph didn't just lay there though, her servos gilded and danced across my frame. Finding various sensitive spots through the seams of my armor. It was amazing how delicate she was, her sharp servos could easily scratch and tear me apart...though that thought was more enticing than anything else.

I gasped suddenly when she found my weakest spot, my audial fins.

"Hmm.._.so interesting_…" She said with a delighted giggle as she watched me squirm under her touch.

"_A-Ah, I-gah…_" I couldn't form a cohesive response, so I started searching for her weak spot.

Then, I found it.

She stopped playing with my audial fins once I began to lightly touch her shoulders and upper arms, her helm landed back on the floor as she gasped and squirmed, the lighter the touch, the bigger the response.

"_Ha-ah, more…!_" She growled, her optics burning with a deep lust that kept building.

Growing more bold, I leaned up pressed my lips to her shoulders.

She gasped loudly, stiffening and digging her claws into my back.

"_Ah-gah...Ratchet...oof…._oh, hello Bulletta."

I froze, I slowly looked to the door as my optics widened in a multitude of emotions. Horror, embarrassment, shame...and strangely _excite__ment_...at the new femme to enter the room, Bulletta who had a shocked and mortified expression etched on her face.

Cenotaph, on the other servo, was completely calm, maybe even more turned on than before with how her purple and pink glow seemed to deepen slightly.

Only now do I realize the extremely compromising pose I am, not only was I on top of her, but we were pressed closely together in every _place_ that mattered.

Bulletta, finally came out of her reaction to only sigh and turn around.

"I didn't think this would happen here of all places, but then again, I should've known! Goddess sakes, why does this happen to me!?" She bellowed in...anger? I couldn't tell if it was that, or disappointment.

Cenotaph laughed, her purple and pink hues fading until it was barely noticeable.

"I see you tend to be the one who walks in on everyone else's _fun time_, eh?" Cenotaph roared in laughter as Bulletta's tail swayed annoyingly.

She roughly sighed, "Just...untangle yourselves and lets get this spell over with." Groaning to herself.

"Okay, okay, but first…" She quickly leaned up and pressed her lips to my audial fins.

I gasped loudly before pulling away and landing on my aft, my vents heaving and fans whirling, my spark pulsing in dark pleasure. She laughed, a delightful and sinister tone as she said.

_"Payback's a bitch."_

She dusted herself off and stood to peds, grabbing her fallen staff.

I groaned, rubbing my faceplate while sitting up, I was not about to stand again after what happened.

"Alright, Bulletta, let's get this started." Cenotaph called out, the gunslinger turned around, satisfied with the now less terrifying visage.

I was afraid to speak at the moment, but conquered my best evenly toned voice asking.

"What should I do?"

Both femme's looked to me, before looking to each other and then shrugging.

"Just...sleep." Cenotaph said with a sadistic smile as she raised her staff and a soft white glow shot off towards me hitting my in the helm.

Suddenly, the world swirled and things became hazy before I fell into a deep sleep.

_Cenotaph's POV_

I caught Ratchet from falling face first onto the floor, then leaned him up on the wall. Surprisingly, he had a light snore, it was quite cute in fact. I didn't really use that spell often, but the Sleep spell had it's finite uses. I smiled at him, lighting patting the side of his helm before turning to the circle, and Bulletta.

"Okay, gonna tell me how that whole situation before came about?" She asked, accusingly.

I mocked feigned innocence, "Why, Bulletta?! To whatever do you mean?"

She growled, "Are you seducing him, are you using him?!"

Now, I frowned, "Seriously, that was a happy accident, that he caused I may add. Besides...I would never use him like that, his one-of-a-kind and I am not throwing that away for anything, his simply too rare and special to get rid of."

She smirked, "Huh, sounds like you are _crushing, hard_."

"Pfft, says the pot to the kettle." I smirked as she suddenly became embarrassed, "Bulletta, don't try and tease me, it's not gonna work. I'll freely admit that I have a thing for him, maybe it's just physical, maybe it's more, but what I do now is that I like him. He is better than any man or woman I have ever met."

"Fine, fine. Let's just get this over with, okay?" She said walking the other side of the circle, "And just so you know, if you tell anyone and that includes _him_, I will gun you down, got it?!"

I laughed, "Suure."

I brought out my spellbook from my hip and placed it on the ground to the spell incantation. Memorizing it, I laid down in the center and beckoned Bulletta to do the same. I started the incantation, the words leaving my mouth without even thinking about it, my staff lifted in the air above me, spiralling with rainbow magic dancing around before I yelled out.

"_SOMNIUM!"_

And then, the world went techno-color.


	15. Dream Team, Part 1

**_A/N: HEYO! Sorry for the long wait, but this is one of those big chapters I don't want to mess up with, so it took longer than previously thought to put it together. Didn't help that I've been given more hours at work so I am not home as often but that will soon change. Anyways, this is going to be several parts as putting it one seemed just to much for one and also, its fun! So today, we begin the saga of Dream Team, I'll be uploading for the other story soon, just have iron out some stuff but its coming, don't worry. But anyways, I hope you enjoy, this first part was a favorite of mine to write...hehehe..._**

**_So please, enjoy the show!_**

_Chapter 15-Dream Team, Part 1_

_Cenotaph's POV_

I stared in delight at what I had done. Everyone was scattered here in my dreamworld that I had so lovingly crafted. What did this dreamworld look like you say? Well, it was recreation, of my old home that was wrenched from the clutches of a vampire lord. You may or may not know it as the infamous Castle Ravenloft, the same from which I threw myself from, located in a recreation of it's home, Barovia, the land of despair and darkness.

Currently, I stood in the King's Bedchamber, a lavish room decorated with reds, purples and blacks. A large canopy bed rests on the northern wall and underneath it is a fine rug. There are closets and dresser galore, with a mirror on one wall. Many candelabras burn low light in the room as it's in the inner part of the keep. A few paintings and tapestries hang on the walls, one of which conceals a secret door. There were only two doors visible in the room, one to the hall and another to a private bath.

I smelled that old musty smell, I definitely got everything right in this dream, right down to the old King's style.

I was currently staring at the mirror, it clouded until I say who I want to listen in on.

Everyone was placed for a reason in each place, whether they were alone or not.

For instance, Ratchet, my beloved thrall was with me in the room, resting soundly on the bed. I had yet to concede consciousness to him in my dream but that was to come yet.

The others were farther scattered.

Starscream and Moonfall were currently in the North Tower Peak, one of the highest towers of the castle. Nerium and Bulletta are currently in the Chapel and Cliffjumper with Rafael are deep within the catacombs of the castle in Strahd's Tomb, the vampire lord that once ruled this castle and those in the lands below.

Of course, none of this is real, but I want to scare them a bit.

Why ultimately did I separate them in such a manner? Well clearly Starscream and Moonfall need to have real alone time together, Nerium and Bulletta were just random and Cliffjumper as well as Rafael were put there for bonding time. And of course then there's Ratchet, who is with me. I wanted to keep him close, even though this castle isn't the real one I still heard tales from the others of this castle's many traps and trickery, even though I have made the traps inert in this rendition.

I don't know, but I just didn't like the feeling of being away from him.

I sighed, and snapped my fingers, letting everyone including Ratchet awaken in their new found place. Hopefully, this will bring us all together, a little bonding exercise and then, then we can truly begin.

_No One's POV_

Slowly, but surely, Ratchet awoke from his groggy slumber. He tried to recall how he fell into recharge, and how he was now staring at a wooden structure above him. All his senses were on full blast but for his optics, he moved his servos and arms, feeling the softest and smoothest material he had ever felt.

The air was warm and what was beneath him was equally so, he wondered what was going on with his internal systems as well as none of them were booting up in his HUD. Then, his memory returned through the haze, the scraplets, Arcee and Optimus trapped in the arctic and then….Cenotaph….

He gasped, sitting straight up now only to be confounded by his surroundings. He was on a berth of sorts with draps coming down around it, colored black and purple, some sheer some not. The material on the berth was smooth and shone in the lowlight of the room, the light itself flickered and danced.

Then, he got a glimpse of himself as he reached out of the material draping around the berth.

He stared in shock at the very human-like servo stretching out from him. He looked down to see, indeed, his Cybertronian body was somehow transformed into a human!

His metal was now a tanned skin, with black, orange and white hair in a short cut. His blue eyes just stared straight ahead in shock, his fingers brushing against his ears to find strangely that they were slightly pointed. He knew he wore no shirt, for some reason but wore black pants that were skin tight with bands around his shins and a belt around his waist.

He muddled on how this could happen and where he was.

Then he stopped in his thinking, as he heard shuffling and movement beyond the canopy bed. Walking in front of the flickering light was a figure, moving slowly and carefully so as to not scare him, which did nothing for the medic, as the figure came closer to the bed he could now make out more feminine features, curves and slender features. She was tall by his estimates and something finally clicked in him that not only made the fear increase, but a dark excitement.

As the curtains pulled away his thought was confirmed.

Even in a organic form, he could recognize the necromancer femme any day.

She was still taller than him, with pale skin and black arcane tattoos down her face, her eyes still a light violet, her black hair dreaded and pushed back, her curves and posture. She didn't wear the same dress as her Lander form, her dress was a simple red dress that was shoulder-less and had a deep cut on both the front and the skirt. He could clearly see the arcane tattoos that spiraled down her entire body, ending at her toes.

"Cenotaph, how did we get here?" He asked, trying to sound confident and resolute when in reality he was falling apart on the inside.

She gave a knowing smile as she sat on the edge of the bed, "Don't you remember?" She playfully asked.

"Right, the spell. But, what is this place, why am I like this and what is going on!?" He said, his words forced and harsh as he started losing control over his own mind.

That said mind, was currently in turmoil. Not only was he organic but he was also dragged into this strange place of Cenotaph's making, which with the amount she knew about her made him worried. Then there was the fact that a very, very attractive femme was sitting very close to him and the very very dark and lustful thoughts springing forward from said situation.

Didn't help that she also smelled like the sweetest Energon.

Cenotaph, on her end, was enjoying the amount of turmoil in his eyes.

"Well, let's start with the first one, this is Castle Ravenloft, my previous home. Second, you are like that because I dreamed so and no, you are not human, you are a Half-Elf. And finally, you are here for a meeting of a secret cabal that has the goal of ending the war that has plagued your world for too long." She sighed, "Oof, that was a lot, did you get that all, my thrall?"

He stared at her with comically wide eyes, he cycled through what he was told several times before asking.

"Secret...cabal?" He said dumbfoundedly, Cenotaph found it cute when he was dumbfounded.

She sighed though, "This is going to take forever isn't it? Here…" She pressed her finger to his forehead with a slight bit of force.

Then, before he could question her, his mind was flooded with thoughts, memories and events of everything all of the Falling Stars had done since they arrived on Earth. Even the Decepticon side which through both of them for a loop, she didn't realize that the Prime's had nudged her to do this, allowing her to understand the other side while Ratchet was subjected to both sides.

Everything was laid bare, the mission, the Primes currently involved, and then for the Decepticon side, how Moonfall came to save Cliffjumper, how she and Fowler gained respect for one another, then her subsequent 'death' at the Space Bridge, then her finding Starscream in her ghostly form, then Nerium's arrival into the Decepticons and her integration, finding friendship with some, enemies with others and finding a kinship with Megatron.

After a moment, taking everything in, Ratchet finally said.

"Well that explains so much."

She giggled, "That was certainly interesting, now that we are all caught up, what do you want to do now?" She suggested moving slightly closer to Ratchet.

He seemed not to notice but asked, "Cenotaph...what was your name before you came here?"

She stopped, confused, "Why would you want to know that?"

He looked her in the eye, "Because I'm now very interested in you. After all, you were chosen by a Prime."

"Oh," She said, completely turned around. "Well, it was Fraya Stormbringer, nothing too special I assure you."

Ratchet scoffed, surprising her, "Don't be ridiculous, besides, that's a unique name and I quite like it. Though I still enjoy your current name, it has a ring to it."

This made her mind reel even more, "R-Really?" She stuttered, finding her heart racing and her head light.

"Of course, why wouldn't I say that about you?" He asked her questioningly, "It's obvious, isn't it?"

She frowned sadly, "Well, it's just I've….never had anyone care what my name was, ever."

"Well then they are a bunch of scrap that needs to get their helms out of their afts." He said with a growl.

Cenotaph just stared at the strange medic in front of her. Never before had anyone cared on that level about her name, sure it was just a name, but it was hers and no one but a select few cared about her or her name. They just stared at her, like either she was a piece of meat or a nobody. The memories of what had transpired before Bulletta had rudely interrupted back into the front of her mind and chased a shiver to go down her spine to settle in her lower abdomen, if he did that with her with such tender care and attention then she should've known he'd be like this.

"Ratchet...thank you." She said softly, catching him slightly surprised.

"Oh, sure, but there is no need to thank me. I find you...very interesting, Cenotaph." He said, looking away from her as he felt those dark thoughts growing stronger in his mind, his skin became flush with red, which was new.

She came closer to him, slowly crawling onto the bed, just staring at him.

"Well I want too, no one before has taken that kind of attention towards me, ever. You are first to care, the first to listen and the first to...be so kind and tolerant of me. I know I can...push your buttons, but it's with good intentions Ratchet. I'd never want to hurt you in any way because this…" She paused as she got close enough to feel his breath on her face, "Is something I never want to pass up."

He breathed slowly, controlling his urges to reach out touch every part of her to say.

"I'll be honest, the first moment I saw you, I was entranced. You are...different and I like that. You are so confident in yourself and you skirt with the darkest of the dark in the world in both profession and personality. You are...something I couldn't ever push away, and I don't want to because I want to know what makes you tick, what makes you do what you do. You are a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma and I want to undo that.'

He breathed again, his entire body trembling with the amount of control he exerted over it, she never moved from where she was but she tilted her head slightly.

'And I am a bot, a mech, that craves that sort of thing. I love taking things apart and putting them back together, improving on them and building on top of them. You are the greatest challenge, a hard to solve puzzle that is more than enticing, alluring. That's why I asked you that question, why I wanted to be an apprentice, because magic is a fundamental part of you, and to understand it, is to understand a small part of you."

Her eyes drooped slightly, hooded over with a combination of every single positive and pleasant emotion within her.

"Ratchet, I'm going to admit something to you that I have never admitted to anyone else including myself...I use my sexuality as a weapon to get what I want from people, I did it for a King for years, when his diplomats didn't work, I did, seducing them into giving me either information for blackmail or to making them sign a deal with our King. Not one of those who I came to bed with cared for me, personally, I was just a pretty face and I still use it today, you know that well…'

She sighed and grasped the back of his head.

'What I am trying to say is simple, you have done more for me in the short time I've known you than any other person I've come across. And I show my appreciation differently than others...I'm more physical when it comes to showing appreciation. I hope you understand that I mean well, with every touch and physical interaction we have."

He hummed, "So...that explains what happened earlier."

She smiled slightly, "Sorry for no heads up."

He shook his head, "I already guessed….but why are you telling me this now?"

She whispered in a low voice, "Ratchet..._kiss me._"

For a second he was surprised then it passed as he remembered what she just said.

So, he leaned in the rest of mere inches between them. Even in this dreamworld, everything felt real to the touch and other senses.

Her lips were soft against his, the kiss gentle and light at first. Then Cenotaph pressed deeper into the kiss, Ratchet did the same, they slowly fell back on the bed, their hands in each other's hair smoothing over and running through it. Cenotaph lightly hummed in the kiss with content, Ratchet groaned in pleasure as their mouths opened and their tongues began to taste on another.

Reluctantly, Cenotaph pulled away from the kiss, leaving a small link between them before the liquid pulled apart.

Both were panting for air, her skin flush purple again, her runic tattoos also pink again while Ratchet was beet red.

Through the haze of pleasurable tingle left by her lips, Ratchet asked.

"What's with the purple and pink?" He huffed out, his words low and husky.

She looked away shyly, "Just…something unique to me."

Ratchet smiled smugly, "Well, I think it makes you look fascinating."

Her shyness quickly turned around, "Oh, don't get any crazy idea's Ratchet, besides, you look more cute when you are the one flustered."

Ratchet was about quip back at her when she stopped him by kissing him roughly.

Then as quickly as she went in she pulled out with a smirk, "Now, now, Ratchet, don't talk back to your master like that." She growled out playfully.

Ratchet looked at her more intrigued than offended, "Master? What am I, a Decepticon?"

She barked out a laughter, "No, but you are my apprentice and I am the Master of my craft, so it is such, got it?"

He rolled his eyes, "Right, got it, never gonna happen though." He said with a challenging look.

"Oh it will, just you watch."

* * *

_In Strahd's Tomb in the Catacombs…_

_Cliffjumper's POV_

I groaned as I woke up, or seemingly so. Everything felt strange, I clearly remembered going into recharge but something felt off about this boot up. My HUD was completely missing and it rather felt as if my senses were dulled before they all came back at once and very rapidly as well.

I heard another groan from another source nearby and I opened my optics in search of it.

The room was dark, with only a few burning torches around, there were stairs that led out with a raised iron gate in them. The stone was completely black and the smell of fresh soil permeated the room. In the center of the room was a inset box in the floor, dark wood with brass accents. Across from me were three alcoves and near the left alcove was a small figure, Rafael, who was slowly becoming more aware of his surroundings.

"Raf, are you okay?" I asked the young human who looked at me in surprise, his expression then morphing into that of fear as he took in the room and strangely, me.

He shook, "W-Who are y-you!?"

I looked at him in confusion, why was he scared of me? Sure this isn't the greatest place to wake up in, courtesy of Cenotaph, but he should be able to know who I am. That's when I stared down at myself, only not to find metal, but organic features.

Something fell onto the floor nearby, almost appearing out of nowhere a small mirror landed on the dark floor. Cursing Cenotaph silently, I grabbed the mirror and looked at myself.

I was turned into a larger size humanoid, as I didn't look human enough to be called human. That was due to the red skin, my eyes were dark blue, and coming out of my head were two horns that curled back, I could feel an extra appendage on my back and moved it to see a long tail.

I had a mop of orange hair on top of my head. I wore orange and different shades of red clothing, a sleeveless shirt that wrapped around my neck, a sash around my waist and pants tucked in by bandages on my shins that also wrapped around my bare feet. My arms and hands also had bandages.

I was well built. On my back was set a heavy crossbow and on my arms were gauntlets and when I flicked my hands popped out daggers.

I flicked them again and they were gone, then, I looked back to Rafael and noticed something different as he stood and backed away from me.

He was taller, more older but still human. He wore a white long-sleeve shirt, over it was leather armor that covered his chest, shoulders and forearms. Where the armor didn't cover on his torso was filled with belts and pouches, he wore a clasped shawl over his armor, a bright yellow turning to orange on the edges. Same type of coloration on a cloth that hangs from his belts around his waist and were cut into four sections, underneath he wore white pants and brown boots and gloves.

His hair was the same brown and his eyes the same hazel, but now, his hair was longer and pushed back with shaved sides. His glasses were a sleeker design and round instead of square. Around his many belts I spotted a rapier sword and a whip.

I had to break the silence as I stared at the older boy now.

"Rafael, it's me, Cliffjumper." I said in a calm voice, I stood slowly as the boy looked warily at me.

"W-What?! That's not possible-where are we!?" He asked frantically, looking around the creepy room.

"This must be what Cenotaph had in mind, this is a dream, Rafael. It was why you were told to keep an open mind. Cenotaph brought us here for a simple reason. For you and others to join in on the greatest secret in the history of secrets!"

He started to come around, being less afraid now, "But then, where are we? Why are we here and where are the others?"

I looked around too, "I'm also wondering that, I thi-"

Suddenly I screamed as pain filled my helm-er head, as did Rafael. It was so sudden and I had no idea what was happening to us, then, visions flew past our opti-eyes. We were suddenly filled with all the knowledge of the collective Landers, even the Decepticon Landers. And when it all stopped, it was silent and clear, no pain remained.

I looked up to Raf, seeing him on his knees breathing heavily. I got up and got to his side quickly.

"Are you alright there, I know that was a lot...even for me." I grumbled the last part, but I focused on Raf instead.

He looked at me with an exacerbated expression that held a tint of curiosity, "Alright, you know have my attention."

I smiled, "Good, 'cause I don't think I could explain it all anyways. We do need to find the others, after all, this was a meeting to discuss things about the Cabal."

"Right, this Cabal." Rafael stood to his feet and looked at the stairs that led out of the creepy room, lit by torchlight. "There are so many things I want to ask, but I think we should focus on getting out of here, wherever here is."

"Then let's get going, I mean, how large can this place really be?" I said, a cheery smile on my face as I led the way up the stairs past the raised bars and further up.

"By the way, do you know why we look like this?" I asked, looking at the older boy.

He shook his head, "No, but I do appreciate the older body, it makes my mind feel more at ease than when I'm awake if I'm completely honest."

"Well, maybe this is you're actually mental age?" I frowned, "But that doesn't explain why I look like this."

Raf smiled, "Well, maybe Cenotaph has the answers."

"Right, let's find her quickly, I don't know how time works here, but I think it's limited."

* * *

_The Chapel of Castle Ravenloft…_

_Bulletta's POV_

I slowly awoke from hearing movement close by, it was soft enough to register as the sounds of someone breathing close by. Sensitive ears strike again, it's a wonder sometimes when I get sleep at all….sleep….sleep...dream? Dream. Wait…DREAM!

I shot up from my position on the ground and groaned at the soreness, since when do you feel sore in your dreams? Ah well, maybe it's a Cenotaph thing, I swear she has sadistic tendencies, then again, she is a necromancer, so no surprise there.

Slowly I took in our surroundings, the tall broken windows and ninety-foot domed ceiling of what appeared to be a chapel. I could see about fifty feet up was a balcony with two slumped figures sitting in large chairs. The chapel floor was littered with debris, broken piers and shattered glass, some stained. At the head of the chapel sat an altar with a shaft of light beaming into it, a silvery statue sat on it of an unknown figure.

But what caught my eye, was the person who laid close by on the dusty and dirty floor.

A gnome, of green spiky hair and olive skin, with strange swirling tattoos on her cheeks. She wore leather armor and had a blood stained scimitar on her back. Next to her, sleeping soundly was a large golden eagle, it softly chatting in its slumber.

I was confused for a moment, I knew this was another Lander, most likely Nerium or whoever she used to be. But, why was she in her organic state? I looked at myself in a broken pane of glass to see I too had returned to my organic form.

The grey skin and horns, the yellow eyes, the white hair, my red armor and black coat with my black pants and boots. Yep, looked like the old me. But still the question lingered, why? Why would Cenotaph do this? Where were we? And why were we separated? I thought this was supposed to be quick but I guess the sadistic femme had other plans.

A groan alerted me to Nerium's awakening, slowly her golden eyes blinked open, clearly taking in the new surroundings. Then, her eyes landed on me, for a moment everything was still than she hissed and drew her blade scowling as she barked out.

"Who are you!? Where am I? What's going on!? Answer me quickly or die by my blade or magic!" She said, her bird companion awakened next to her, squawking and almost hissing at me as well.

I sighed, "I'm not an enemy, my name is Moon Nemesis, but you will know me as Bulletta. I'm a Lander Autobot, and this, this is a dream conjured by a dramatic and sadistic Goliath that loves toying with people."

She hesitated, then slowly lowered her weapon. "So, that's what this is. And why you asked for an open mind, clever." She said with a blank stare, her emotions suddenly hard to read.

"Ah, so you are Nerium, good, good. Now, how about we get out of this place, I don't quite like it, feels...wrong." I said standing and looking at the shambles of the Chapel.

Nerium as well stood, clearly shorter than I due to her nature but she still gave a aura of 'don't-fuck-with-me'.

"Well Bulletta, I don't quite know what this is either, but I bet you the place she's hiding is one of the higher points of….whatever this place is." Nerium said, as she picked up her bird friend and placed her on her shoulder.

"I think it's a castle, go figure, I thought wizards liked towers, not castles." I said with a sarcastic roll.

"Wizard? Of course it is, let me guess, you don't like her?" Nerium asked, her cold neutral expression strange in her somewhat lively voice.

"I'm not fond of magic users…."

She gave a slightly pointed look, "Really? I don't see you staring at me with disgust and disdain?"

I sighed, "Never mind that, you're different from her, now let's get out of here."

I turned and started to make my way to the double doors of old oak when Nerium called out.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you are a hypocrite."

Her voice echoed throughout the large chamber and I stopped in my tracks. Slowly, I looked back at her, a mixture of emotions bubbling to the surface. She stared at me with a cold and unassuming expression but I could smell a sting of smugness and….something else….something I only smelled on Cenotaph.

Darkness.

She went on, "If you knew what I am capable of would you still treat me with how you just did? You clearly know who I am, no doubt from a source we both know. So, why do you talk as if Cenotaph is a devil yet you are kind to me?"

I went to retort when I lurched forward in pain, my words dying in my throat as my mind exploded in pain. I heard a distant cry as Nerium too felt the strange power of pain and knowledge wash over us. My mind sifted through the visions, the knowledge and the wisdom of all that had transpired.

When the pain left, I panted, staring at the ground as I took in the new information about not only my fellow Landers, but of what had transpired between other people they've met along the way.

I looked up, Nerium was panting as well but quickly shook it off, muttering something to herself.

"Listen," I said, my voice crisp and clear in the chapel, "I don't trust Cenotaph because she is a Necromancer, she practices the dark arts. You, on the other hand, are for life. You are a druid and a powerful one at that, yet you do not seek to bend life and death to your will alone. That is why I don't hold disdain for you, but I don't trust you either."

"Good," She said, her voice dark and snappy, "You shouldn't trust me, Bulletta. But I want you to know something. I may be a druid, but I am far from what people would call 'on the side of life'. After all, sometimes, _I enjoy the thrill of the kill_." She growled at me.

She began to walk towards me, then as she past said, "Cenotaph may practice the dark arts, but I am sure there is a reason for it. Just as I have, a druid who doesn't protect life but enjoys snuffing it. I can imagine that Cenotaph may not be what she seems."

Then, she kicked the old doors away with a loud bang and walked out of the room.

I stood there, shocked to hear what I heard.

But deep down, I knew she was right.

Nothing is ever as it seems and I believe this place will prove that a thousand times over to me.

* * *

_Back in the King's Bedchambers…_

_Ratchet's POV_

"You really have thought of everything, haven't you?" I asked as we watched the mirror, it currently held video of Rafael and Cliffjumper getting out of the tomb, before it switched to Nerium and Bulletta making their way out of the chapel and finally Moonfall and Starscream in the North Tower Peak talking to each other quietly.

Cenotaph chuckled into my audi-ear, "Why wouldn't I? I'm a planner and besides, team building exercises never hurt anyone."

"Right, so, what? You just going to let them wander?" I asked, looking up at her, she was quite taller than me but I didn't mind.

I now had the rest of clothes that Cenotaph reluctantly gave up, I wore along with my pants a black button up dress shirt, a orange waistcoat, a pendent holding a white tie, black gloves and boots as well a whit coat that stopped above my ankles hanging from my shoulders.

"Oh no," She said as she finished putting on her actual clothing, which was the same as her Lander form, just more organic than before. "I have a challenge for them to pass."

"A challenge?" I looked at her curiously. "What kind are you thinking of?"

She smiled wickedly, "It's different for each, but let's just say, they won't know what hit them. I want to test them, bond them, and when it's done. This Cabal, will be established."

"Is this really your decision to make though?" I questioned out loud.

She shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not. Who knows, but I certainly don't care."

"So, what about us? Is there something other than before that you had in mind?"

She smirked at the question and walked around me, she pulled my chin up so that our eyes were locked. Her smile deepened into a devilishly smirk as she said.

"Today, here Ratchet, I am going to begin your magic lessons."

"Why here?" I asked.

"So many questions Ratchet, it's simple, here you can't harm anyone. And well, I determine if you succeed or not. As well, wizard magic isn't innate it must be studied. So come, we are heading for the study room." She said, letting me go and walking towards the door.

I stared after her, completely entranced by her. I wonder sometimes what I had gotten myself into and then I remember. Cenotaph is something no mech in their right mind can resist, even if it was intentional to get me attention I'm pleased it worked.

I was close to getting the power to aid the bots, and to further my people's science.

And if it meant I was by her side the entire time, I wouldn't mind that one bit.

_After all, who can resist a specimen such as herself?_


	16. Dream Team, Part 2

**_A/N: Heyo! Bit of a shorter chapter this one, but its mainly set up for the next chapter as well as character growth! I do hope you enjoy it, keep safe out there during these crazy times and please, enjoy the show!_**

_Chapter 16-Dream Team Part 2_

_In the Catacombs of Castle Ravenloft…_

_No One's POV_

Cliffjumper and Rafael made it to the top of the stairs to stare out into a low-light chamber, a large, large chamber. Small rooms were scattered in the room to hold up the ceiling that was vaulted. A low lying fog hugged the ground and when they stepped onto the floor, a sickening squelch sounded underfoot. There were little torches lit in the room but further was hard to make out. The quiet unmistakable sounds of many, many bats ahead echoed throughout the large chamber.

The human trembled slightly, whispering, "What is all of this?"

Cliffjumper frowned, "I don't know, but keep close…"

Slowly they started making their way through the shrouded underground complex, as they passed the small rooms, large stone doors sealed shut with a metal plate that had writing that was unreadable as they passed. They passed by one such plate and Rafael stopped for a moment to read the metal plate.

It was inscribed with the following; _Luna Cortanna Quartz Moonfall-The God Scorner _

His eyes widened at the name, he rushed to the next one.

It read; _Moon Nemesis Bulletta-The Devoted Loyalist _

"Cliffjumper!" Raf yelled out, the red tiefling rushing up next to him, "Look, this plate is inscribed with Bulletta's full name!"

He frowned at this, "What does it mean though?"

"Lets see, we're underground, there was a coffin in the room we woke up in-"

"Wait, that was a coffin?" Cliffjumper cut him off, remembering the box of brass and dark wood embedded into the floor they had woken up in.

Rafael nodded his head, "Yeah, which means this entire place….is a crypt, a catacomb for the dead…"

"So," Cliff said, pondering the thought, "Why would Cenotaph make these, why make crypts for her fellow members?"

Raf frowned, "Maybe, this is her mindset? We know she is a Necromancer from the blast of info we just gotten….which in of itself we need to discuss, including the fact she raised Skyquake from the dead…"

"Oh yeah," Cliffjumper shivered, "I guess there is so much to unpack on that is there."

"That's for later, now, I want to confirm something."

Rafael began working his way around the catacomb, reading off all of the plates.

_Magna 'Mage' Turan Nerium-The Deathless Thorn _

_Starscream-The Moon's Blade _

_Cliffjumper-The Saved One _

_Rafael Esquivel-The Hacker _

_Breakdown-The ***** Wrecker_

"Strange, Breakdown has a redacted part on his plate." Rafael said, frowning at the plate.

Cliffjumper shivered, "Don't you think you should be more worried that Cenotaph has put our names onto plates to clearly what are crypts!?"

"Well yes, of course. But, there are so many here. And where is hers?" He said, looking around at the dozen or so more crypts.

"Maybe one of them is hers? Or she doesn't view herself as dead." Cliffjumper said, "But then, why view us as dead? Is everyone to her a dead person or something?"

Rafael was silent for a moment before answering, "I think….no, no, that can't be…"

The tiefling frowned at the man now, "What? Tell me…!"

Rafael began making his way around the others, looking at all of the plates, some had nothing on them, but others….

_The Chainless Witch_

_The Worn Seamaiden_

_The Shadow Hunter_

_The Ruthless __Servant_

Then there were others that sent shivers down his spine.

_The Cowardice Father_

_The Feeble Mother_

_The Baneful Tyrant _

_The Gluttonous King_

_The Lords of Hell _

_The Mortal Heroes _

After finally going through all of them, he was left in the center of the large catacombs, a large opening that was like a hall that went to a stairwell going up and a large tomb going down on the other end.

"W-Who are these people?" Rafael wondered quietly to himself, he was now very afraid of what Cenotaph's view on the world was, if she saw so many disdainful people, was she in the right to deny them peace in death?

Cliffjumper caught up to Rafael who had ran ahead of the red tiefling.

He panted, "Raf...I think… we should move on."

The man only frowned as he stared towards the tomb, "Not before I see something."

He began to walk towards the tomb, large stairs led down and small amounts of light flickered down below. On a landing half way down the dark stoned steps was two alcoves with large bronze statues holding spears and wearing knight's armor. A shimmering wall of blue light was positioned in between them.

Cliffjumper came up behind him, "What's that?"

"I don't know, but it somehow just knows it's magical." Rafael said, staring dumbfoundedly at the curtain wall of light.

"Magical?" The tiefling remarked, "Like Cenotaph's magic?"

Raf shook his head, "It's different, somehow. And I don't think we'll have an issue with it."

He took a tentative step towards it and reached out a hand towards it. Slowly he pushed his hand through the light….and nothing happened. Feeling more confident, he completely stepped through and motioned for Cliffjumper to follow him further down the stairs.

Cliff frowned once again, following Rafael's lead. Something was off about the kid, he seemed more confident, more brave even. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that his new form gave him a well deserved confidence yet hidden underneath he smelt a twinge of fear.

They finally made it to the bottom of the stairs and were surprised by the tomb's contents. Tall, stained glass windows were on the far side, letting in little to no light whatsoever. It seemed like the catacombs and this part, was jutting out of the side of the mountain where the whole of it all laid on top of. In the center laid a faded symbol, unrecognizable to either and underneath the slight glow of the two of the three windows was two stone coffins with figures etched into the cap stones.

Rafael made his way to the one on the right, there he saw a woman, tall and strong carved into the stone, this was the organic form of Cenotaph. In her right hand she held her staff and in her other, her spellbook. A plate of rusted metal was on the side of the coffin that read; _Fraya Stormbringer-Founder and Headmaster of Ravenloft Academy, Royal Archmage of the Barovian Council, Member of the Dragonslayers. May her rest finally find her, in the Fields of Elysium for that is the true gift for a Hero of Mia'Tshar._

Cliffjumper on the other hand, was given the stone carving of Cenotaph's current form. Her form craved with great detail and care. But instead like her other craving, she holds her staff and spell book in one hand and in the other a blazing star. A more refined and golden plate on this one read; _Cenotaph, the Unholy Mistress-Founding Member of the Cabal of the Falling Stars, Queen of the Horde and Champion of Quintus Prime. This coffin shall never be used by the Great Queen, for she is undeath and will remain so, for all eternity._

"This is…" Cliffjumper trailed off, looking in horror at the coffin.

"...It is her mindset…" Raf stared at both coffins with a disturbed expression.

"I can't believe….for someone to have such zeal for the way they do things, to think she's dead already…" Cliffjumper said, looking towards the stained glass windows.

Raf sighed, shaking slightly, "We need to get out of here, come on, we've wasted enough time."

As he began to rush away, Cliffjumper called out after him.

"Raf...is something wrong?"

He stopped in his tracks, and the answer that came to mind was a firm 'no'. But he stopped himself from saying that. His mind was filled with a thousand thoughts, so many burning questions and fears. He now feared the femme he had come to a liking too. He couldn't believe that a femme who saw herself as a undead and by extension, was a necromancer, held him and talked to him.

She was a practitioner of the dark art of raising the dead, in all sense, she would be considered pure evil.

And that's where the fear came from, not only that she was a necromancer, but she believed so readily that she was already dead. Which meant, if she ever went into battle, she would freely give her life away. And the Autobots couldn't lose not a single one of them, no matter how dark their power was.

He swallowed thickly and clenched his fist, "I...we...she…"

"Rafael, I understand you are afraid, but you need to keep calm and try not to rush off. Come on, talk to me…?" He asked, slowly coming up to behind the boy turned man.

He spun around, his eyes hard with shimmering tears, "I don't want to talk about it."

He then spun back around, and walked back up the stairs, leaving a confused and slightly hurt Cliffjumper behind.

* * *

_Outside of the Chapel in the Hall of Faith…_

_Bulletta's POV_

The dark hall ahead from the doors that Nerium bashed open seemed ominous to me, with the layers of dust and cobwebs everywhere with the low light of the torches on the walls. But Nerium seemed unperturbed, and pressed on. Bronze statues lined the halls, and it took me a moment to realize that these statues were of the Primes, each other displayed in different poses. I could see all of our Primes here along with the rest as well as the Fallen Prime and the mysterious Thirteenth Prime whose statue looks vaguely like Optimus.

But, we pressed on further until reaching the end of the hall, a rusted bronze sun was above the double door of oak. Once again, Nerium kicked it open and lazily strode into the next room.

"You know you don't have to kick every door, right?" I said with annoyance.

She shot back, "Then there is the difference between us, you are a strong tall tiefling and I am the small gnome that finds every door a challenge, so thus I need to kick it in to get it anywhere."

I crossed my arms and begrudgingly followed her into the next room, mumbling curses to myself.

This next room seemed to be a foyer, with four large pillars holding up the ceiling, covered in cobwebs as well, two large double doors were opposite of us, with a large staircase leading up to our right and another small hall to our left where strangely haunting music was coming from, the low light flickering in sync with the song.

"..the hells..?" Nerium mumbled under her breath and she swiftly began walking towards the sound.

The small hall had two ways to go, a stairwell that went up and down the left and two large doors that were slightly ajar to the right. The music coming from the right made Nerium turn sharply and push the doors open. Inside was a grand feasting hall, with a large oak table and pillars on each side of the room, three crystal chandeliers hanging above and across was a large pipe organ.

Sitting at that instrument is a figure, I didn't recognize her. But as soon as she turned around to face us after letting the music drift off I recognized her, the dreaded hair and pale skin with tattoos was unmistakable, even in organic form, Cenotaph was a striking and presence commanding out of all of us.

She smiled, "Welcome, to my abode." Her voice sounded off, a little too sweet.

"Cenotaph? Oh thank the Goddess we found you, what in the nine hells is going on here!?" I asked, finally relieved at least to find her.

I began walking towards her when Nerium grabbed onto my leg.

"Wait...something's not right here." She said, narrowing her eyes at Cenotaph, her bird on her shoulder glaring as well.

"Well, aren't you perceptive." Cenotaph sneered with delight, "You should really listen to her, you never know if something is coming when you least expect, especially here."

I stared at her with confusion, "W-What? Nerium, what are you-"

"You two should get going, you have quite a challenge ahead of you in order for you to find Cenotaph." The femme at the organ said, my eyes widened as something hit me.

I stepped back, "You...aren't Cenotaph, so then, who are you!?"

She, er-it smirked devilishly, "I am merely an illusion, here to give you a warning and as I already gave it to you, my work here is done." She started to laugh to herself, that kept building until almost sounded inhuman, deranged, and then she vanished into nothingness.

Then the silence filled the empty room, leaving just me and Nerium.

"It seems she likes her mind games, good, I haven't had a proper challenge in some time." Nerium said with a smirk, cracking her knuckles and bending her neck.

I just stared at where the illusion used to be, anger boiled up.

"Of course, OF COURSE! Nothing is ever simple with her isn't it! That lying and manipulating succubus!" I growled, turning to stare at Nerium, "This is why I don't trust her as far as I can throw her! Goddess, so _help_ me when I find her ..."

Nerium rolled her eyes, "Tsh, you need to calm down, that attitude will get you nowhere."

I gritted my teeth, "Like _you_ miss cold and stony face!?"

"...yes…"

I groaned and stomped out of the room and back into the small hall. Staring at the stairwell in front of me and the stairs to the left in the first room I try to decide a direction. Choosing the large stairs in the foyer I began to make my way towards the steps.

Hurried steps followed me behind.

"You know, Bulletta, I believe she's doing this on purpose too you." Nerium said, I said nothing so she went on. "It seems from what I seen, she loves toying with people and uses her magic in aid of that. Both of which upsets you, unreasonably so."

I scoffed as I began to climb the stairs as they curved to the left and up, "I have my reasons."

"You are a follower of Ioun, correct?" She asked, I silently nodded, "Then I can see why you hate lies and illusions, but magic, I don't get."

"I have had people try to use magic to interfere with my creations, thus, I don't like magic." I said with a tinge of warning, trying to make her stop.

We came to a landing, where the stairs separated into two wells and two statues standing in between them, of unrecognizable figures.

Nerium stopped in front of me, "So, someone tried messing with your weapons? Seems like this goes deeper than just that."

I rolled my eyes, "Sure, sure, but here's the thing, magic in my world was out of control!"

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation.

I sighed, "I lived in a time known as the Age of Arcanum, where you could mold the world with magic, no limits whatsoever. Gods and Goddesses walked the face of the world and all was well. But...magic is corruption, many used it to gain wealth and power, some used it to become gods themselves, and many used it for ill-intent against the innocent. So, yes, I don't trust magic, as it leads to only despair and greed."

Nerium was silent for a moment, then Wendigo squawked almost speaking to her.

The gnome looked back at me and said, "Understandable, but this isn't your world anymore. Remember that."

"I know that!" I yelled, "That's why I am cautious…"

Nerium turned away and started walking towards the rest of the stairs.

"Then get with the program, just because she can use magic, doesn't mean she'll turn out like them. Yes, there's a chance, but if you are there, maybe you can change it."

I stared in surprise at the femme, "Why are you giving me advice?" I asked.

She stopped and said, "I've seen people like you before, people who don't trust anything but a stereotype and just go in gun ho about these beliefs...and I hate those types of people."

I frowned, "Why?"

Her hand started to shake slightly as it balled into a fist, "Because….I was once like that...and the very thought of others like that….was one of the reasons I saw fit to not live in that world anymore."

My eyes widened, "You…I remember now, you killed yourself and were brought here by the Primes."

Her bird nestled against her as she started shaking more, "...Yes...and I will not allow myself or anyone else make those mistakes. It's time for a cold hard look at reality, to be logical, reasonable, not emotional. Emotion leads to strife and bursts of emotion can lead to unreasonable death...so yes, I'm going to give you advice, whether you want it or not."

Silently she climbed the stairs, I stared at her for a moment, frowning.

How could she be like this? Was the question running through my head as I went after her. What caused her to take her own life, it wasn't just that one reason. What kind of life did she live before this? How did that come to mold her like this? Nerium it seemed was more mysterious than even Soundwave or Cenotaph, a strange and complex character.

But something else bugged me now, what exactly is the challenge the illusion spoke of before supposed to be?

* * *

_In the Study…_

_No One's POV_

Ratchet turned the next page in the book he held, his eyes eating up the words of the page with fervorous delight. Each word was filled with knowledge he had yet seen in his world, they talked about how to look at the universe in a completely new way, from the sight of magic.

Cenotaph stood near the fire black, the strange purple flame lighting up her entire form. Above the stone carved fireplace was a portrait hanging there, Ratchet didn't know who she was but the Necromancer knew. It was a portrait of Tatyana, the woman that Strahd loved so much, that he became vampire after she threw herself off of the Castle walls when he had killed her husband to be and brother to Strahd, Sergi.

The woman of red hair and royal purple dress was somewhat of a inspiration to Cenotaph. A woman whose love for her true lover knew no bounds, even if that love meant dying to keep what was there's pure. To Cenotaph, she was a true example of a woman who knew what she wanted in the world and would do anything to have it and keep it from anyone who would steal or taint that.

But of course, her attention wasn't on her love for the painting, but the sight of a enthralled Ratchet as he began to read the basics of magic and it's viewpoints on reality. Much of it is simply too hard for some to understand, but for intellectual minds such as himself, it was like pulling off blinders he'd been wearing for centuries.

And of course she didn't taint the material of the books either, even if this was her dreamworld, she knew that he needed to genuinely learn how to perform magic. So, she thanked her new memory that could remember literally anything and remade the books here for him to read.

Yes, it was tedious to learn this type of magic, but it was necessary.

Cenotaph smiled as he finished the book and picked up another, he was breezing through them. But she shouldn't be surprised, he was a medic after all and that required a lot of reading and studying. He was built for this. And for him to be invested was all the more reason to make him her apprentice.

"I don't believe this," Ratchet's voice snapped out into the silent Study.

She stood straighter and walked over, "What is so unbelievable, my thrall?"

"In here," He pointed to a chapter within the new book he was reading, "It says that there is something called the Weave? A tapestry of magic that overlaps reality itself, is that where magic really comes from?"

She smiled, he'd been asking questions like these here and there and she happily answered.

"Yes it does, it can vary from reality to reality, but in most cases a weave overlaps our dimension and what we learn allows us to pluck at that weave to gain a reaction. That is why it is important for those like us to learn the proper techniques and words in order to create magic."

"Interesting." He said looking at the book again, "It also says that there are beings who can control the entire weave, gods as they describe them."

"Yes, in my world though, there was a god of magic that became the weave itself, some worlds do have one or simply don't." Cenotaph replied, sitting next to him on the love seat that he sat on.

He nodded his head and kept reading, she watched with fascination at his eyes darting across the page. It lulled her in a state of comfort. It was sometime that she just stared at him before suddenly he slammed the book closed, making her jump slightly as he set it down.

Ratchet turned to Cenotaph and said, "There's something I want to ask you, I was wondering why is it that you studied magic? After reading about it, it seems like something not easy to get into too."

She was surprised by the boldness of the question, and the fact it was directed to her.

"O-Oh, well, it's kind of a sad tale." She mumbled, looking away towards the purple flame.

Suddenly a hand was placed on hers, she turned to see a small understanding smile on Ratchet's face.

"Tell me, I want to learn more about, remember?" He said, his hand closing around hers.

She sighed, "I guess it's only fair, but only if you tell me more about yourself, deal?"

He chuckled, "Deal."

She giggled along with him but it slowly subsided as she started to remember all that time ago.

"I learned magic from a man, who was captured by my tribe, I have forgotten his name but I'll never forget what he did for me. He taught me enough for me to escape from my tribe who...mistreated me and gave me the power to survive in the world. Over time I taught myself and became somewhat of a legend, signing up with a group of adventurers called the Dragonslayers." She smiled slightly, "But I'm curious, why does a medic such as yourself want to learn arcane magic?"

He seemed stunned for a moment that she redirected him like that, but chose to ignore her question in favor of his own.

"What do you mean 'mistreated'?" His voice was even and tempered, but there was a darkness to it that made Cenotaph jump in surprise and excitement.

"Well, they weren't the best...I mean, my Father basically abandoned me and Mother for another tribe woman and my Mother died shortly after giving birth to me. Then I was under the Chieftains' care...even if you could call it that…" She trailed off, looking away from him.

His voice became softer, "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, "No, I don't. But what I do want is an answer to that question."

He sighed but smiled nonetheless, "Well, it's complicated. Like before, I told you I wanted to learn about it because it's a part of you, but I guess you can see it goes deeper than that."

"You think?" She giggled, "I can see a spark there, where is that spark coming from."

"Well, it's the fact that there is something out there that could turn the tide of war for us. There is finally something that we can have the upper hand in. And I want to use it to help Cybertron, and the rest of my comrades." He said, standing and walking around.

She crossed her arms, "But what if you comrades see that you are practicing Necromancy?"

He looked at her pointedly, "So!? We've done more shadier things during the war back on Cybertron. In the end, we are no better than the Decepticons! This is war, there is no good and bad side, we just go about it a different way than the Cons do. And it isn't dark unless you use it for the creation of evil, that isn't me nor you."

She smiled, "Glad to see a like minded individual."

He scoffed, "So what if it's Necromancy, what we need is power to win this war and that's what I am trying to attain, _power._" He purred.

"Power? Hm, never knew you for a _power hungry_ mech, Ratchet." Cenotaph purred as well, watching him closely.

"Well, I suppose you do have a point. But then again, who isn't power hungry these days? Optimus seeks the power to destroy Megatron or turn him back, not that it's even possible." Ratchet said, stalking back over to sit back down next to her.

Cenotaph laughed, "Actually, from what we learned, Nerium maybe working on that."

"Indeed." He said before looking her up and down, "I have to ask though, what is you're plan? What do you intend to do with Skyquake, now that everyone knows you raised him from the dead?"

She looked at him with a dark glint in her eye, "Oh, I have plans for him and any dead that cross my path. And I plan to make you a part of that, my thrall. I have the desire to create a force of undead to be at our beak and call, and I want you to be my General."

He looked surprised, "Ah, so there is the underlying motive. But..._General_ does have a nice ring to it." He purred, crawling over her till their faces were hover above each other.

She laughed, "I see that you are taking initiative, very good, that's a good quality of any wizard." She then grabbed him by the shoulders and expertly flipped him over with her on top. "But you need to be quicker in order to gain the element of surprise, my _thrall_…."

She laughed again at Ratchet's face of defeat, she sat up and firmly planted herself on his hips to stop him from getting up. He groaned slightly at the positioning, his face heating up.

"If you can't take the heat, my thrall, you shouldn't have tried such a stunt." She said with a smug smirk.

Ratchet knew he should've been faster on the draw there, but knew he could correct his mistake easily. Being a medic meant that he knew weak spots of bots, and since technically they were still Cybertronian physically, it meant those weak spots were on their organic frames in their heads-er helms.

And since he knew of one of Cenotaph's weak spots that transferred over from her original form, he knew there were spots she wasn't even aware of in her new frame. Like for instance, of frame types that had a chevron in the middle of their helm were sensitive beyond belief.

A smirk formed on his face as a plan formed.

Suddenly, Ratchet's hands shot up towards her shoulders as he grabbed her and with seemingly new and determined strength to lift himself up to where she fell back onto the couch, but before she retaliate his lips were against the middle of her forehead where her hairline met.

She was confused for a moment, before suddenly feeling a wave of heat both mentally and physically wash through her entire frame. It was a strange feeling, both your true form and dream form both suffering from the touch. Instantly her purple and pink hue returned, she gasped in surprise pleasure.

Then, he moved back up with a dark smirk of victory all over his face.

"That was for all the times you got a drop on me, my dear _Cena_." He said her new nickname with dripping amounts of suaveness he could put into it.

She huffed for a few moments before saying, "Well played…"


	17. Dream Team, Part 3

**_A/N: My word this took too long to write, and too long to put out. Sorry about the long wait, got a new game recently and I've just been playing it like crazy! Didn't realize how long it was till I looked at a calander, so sorry! But anyways, we come to the third part on the Autobot side and its time to face a foe that's going be a pain for the Falling Stars! Hope you enjoy this super long chapter, the next one will be the final one and I'll have the Cons side up asap!_**

**_Now please, enjoy the long awaited show!_**

_Chapter 17-Dream Team, Part 3_

_In the Catacombs…_

_No One's POV_

Rafael hurried up the stairs towards the small landing and the curtain of magical light. His fist in a tight ball as he tried to reign in his fear and worry. All he wanted to do was to get away from Cliffjumper and find Cenotaph and just ask her….why? What was wrong with her? Was she a threat? Is she really an ally? And what was with her mind games, and those tombs?

He stopped before the wall of light that shimmered before him, a realization coming over him.

Rafael realized that he never saw a tomb for Ratchet, everyone else was there, even some people he didn't know and heck, even Cenotaph had her own tomb, so, where was Ratchet's? His thoughts went immediately to the tomb he woke up in with Cliffjumper, they never really looked at it for any plates or anything.

Heck, they didn't even fully explore the catacombs, there could even be more private tombs elsewhere.

But now, he was tired, done with this place. So, he would reluctantly leave it unanswered for now. After all, when he found Cenotaph he could make her tell him anyways.

"Raf!" Cliffjumper's voice came from below him, he looked back to see the red tiefling trying to follow him.

He frowned and turned away, but waited for the tiefling to catch up to him.

Finally, Cliffjumper came to Rafael's side, huffing and panting. Cliffjumper's worries had not gone away, when Raf's behavior began to shift before it had frightened him. He was wondering what kind of turmoil was going on in his head, while trying to suppress his own.

For the first time, ever, Cliffjumper doubted the Primes when it came to their champion picking. And whenever he thought that line it sent shivers down his spine. As well, when he saw the tombs before him, it caused him to worry even more. He wondered to himself if maybe he made the right call, in choosing to join up with them. But then again, he had a chance to ignore it and he didn't, he accepted Bulletta's offer after all.

Or was that the Primes as well?

Something crawled under his skin, like something wasn't right, about any of this. It was the same feeling he had when Moonfall intervened to stop Starscream from killing him. It was..._wrong_ and that thought worried him most. Did he want to die? Was he ungrateful?

He truthfully didn't know, none of this stuff was really his forte, he was more of the kind of guy to go in with guns ablazing, not the emotional stuff.

"Raf," He breathed again, trying to get back on track, "I know this is all hard for you to get but we can't be separated here, it could be dangerous."

The human turned his head away from the tiefling, "I need time alone with my thoughts, please."

"I can't do that Raf," Cliffjumper said, straightening his back with resolve, "I won't let anything hurt you-"

"EXCEPT YOU LET A NECROMANCER TOY WITH MY MIND!?" Rafael burst out in anger previously unknown to him.

Cliffjumper stared at the human, a hurt expression coming across his face as the human realized what he just did.

"Leave me alone, please." Rafael said, stepping away from Cliffjumper and heading towards the wall of the light.

Cliffjumper reached out for him, "Raf wait! Lets ta-"

He was cut off as soon as he passed through the wall, confused momentarily he turned back on to see not Cliffjumper or the stairs, but a fireplace of purple fire. His hazel eyes widened in dread as he slowly took in the room.

Above the stone fireplace was a painting of a woman with red hair and purple clothing. Around the room on all the walls were shelves upon shelves of books and scrolls, large windows were scattered on one wall but it was hard to see out of them, there were several doors in this room and it was decorated with tables and chairs as well as a love seat.

Low light from torches and the fireplace alighted the room and the overwhelming smell of paper and perfume permeated the air.

"W-What…?" He quietly said to himself, his brown gloved hands reaching for the handle of the rapier sword on his belt.

No one was in the room with him, he was completely alone.

"Hello?" He called out, still afraid of what might jump out at him, "C-Cliffjumper? Are y-you there?!"

No one answered, but for the silence of the room.

He went to a door and tried to pry it open, but it wouldn't move. Trying the next he pulled with no luck. Each door he tried the panic would grow. And when none of them opened he slumped into the love seat, his heart beating in his own ears as he trembled in panic and fear.

Rafael didn't want to be here anymore, he didn't want to think about all the horrible things running through his head right now, he didn't want to think about any of it. But here he was, alone with his thoughts, and only his thoughts.

"Please-can someone hear me!? I don't want to be here!" He called out again, desperate to fill the air with sound.

"Why not? I thought you wanted to be alone with your thoughts?" A soft feminine voice caught the human by complete surprise.

Whipping his head to the voice he stared at the mystery girl who just suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She was a young woman with pale skin and vibrant red hair, she wore a purple Victorian dress and on her hand was an engagement ring made of black metal with a red jewel.

Her piercing red eyes staring at him with a questioning look.

"W-Who…?!" He said, standing in haste and pulling his rapier sword, but it shook as he pointed it at her.

She cocked her head to the side, "I am sorry, was I wrong?"

He frowned, raising his sword higher, "W-What are you t-talking about?"

"Hm, I guess it is scary when a stranger approaches, no? My apologies, young man, my name is Tatyana." She said with a kind yet strange smile.

He became even more confused, slowly lowering his sword.

"Tatyana? Where did you come from a-and what happened to Cliffjumper?" He asked, staring around the otherwise empty study room.

She chuckled, "That's not important, like I said before, I thought you wanted to be alone?"

Slowly she approached, her steps silent and it was like she was almost gliding across the floor. The sword was now at his side and she stopped a respectable distance from him, looking at him curiously once again.

"Uh, I-I….mhm, I d-didn't really m-mean it...I think." He said, looking away bashfully.

"I don't understand." She stated more than questioned, "I thought you wanted to think over the several revelations you just discovered, after all, finding out about all of this is quite...problematic."

He sighed, flopping back onto the love seat, "I don't know. Yes, I wanna think things over and yet...I don't want to think about it."

She tilted her head slightly, "You want to be oblivious to it all. You want things to go back to simpler times, maybe even before the Autobots."

Rafael looked up at her, her face stone cold and her red eyes boring into him.

He frowned, "N-No, that's not-"

She cut him off, "But that's what you're thinking, isn't it?"

"But…" He sighed, looking down again, "I suppose that thought was there without me realizing it. B-But I like my new friends, Bumblebee and everyone else."

"Yet...you still ponder it." She said with no emotion, it unsettled him slightly.

"Sure, yeah. It would be better if I didn't know any of this, and I suppose I haven't fully processed the whole situation. I mean, I'm now involved not only in an intergalactic war, but a government secret and now...this ultra secret within the one I already had." He groaned, "When I say it out loud, it sounds so...horrible. I mean, I'm only twelve and three quarters and I'm in this shit, this deep deep well of nonsense.'

He stood and began to pace near the fireplace.

'This, all of this, brings a whole new level of stress. I'm now in the know of a secondary secret war! And to top it off, one of them is a dark magic user whose view of others and herself is seriously twisted. I mean, I was dragged into this with no warning, no SAY in the matter! I'm tired of it, of people making decisions for me just because I am a special kid with special talents."

"Hm, it sounds like you hate her and the rest of them for dragging you down. I wonder, are they going to kill you if you refuse to play their game?" Tatyana asked, a sly smirk briefly appearing across her face.

Rafael sighed, staring into the purple flame, "I don't think they would….but then again, Cenotaph did raise Skyquake from the dead. And for what reason on top of that!? What else is hiding? Can she be trusted, with not only this Cabal but with the bots as well? Ah, I have too many questions…"

"Questions are important, Rafael, it means you are not a sheep to society." She stated calmly, watching the human with intent.

He sighed, "Yeah I-wait...I never told you my name." He said, staring at her now with a slight suspicion.

Tatyana ignored his query, "Tell me, Rafael, with this knowledge now, what will you do with it? Are you going to play along with her and their plans? Or are you going to take your freedom back?"

A dark smirk replaced her cold expression, her red eyes sparkling in the purple firelight.

Tatyana pressed even further, "For me, it's quite simple what you should do. You should rat them all out to the Autobots, to Agent Fowler. Once they realize that they are traitors, that's when you get to see their true colors. That's when you get what you most want, power. Power over those who bullied you into a corner! And then, no one will ever EVER tell you what you can and can't do ever again!"

He slowly backed up until he could feel the hot heat of the fireplace.

A scared expression crossing his face as he said, "T-Thats…"

She rolled her eyes, "OH COME NOW! Don't be like that, I know what you're desire is, you want power and control so that no one can influence your mind! And with it, no one can ever lie or deceive you, everyone's true colors will shine through and then you won't have to worry about who to trust anymore! You'll be free from the pain of betrayal and the pain of reality, isn't that what you want!?"

As she approached him, her eyes started to glow completely red, her body rising into the air and growing bigger until she towered over him, sharp teeth glinted as she bent down over him. Her hand went out, open and ready to accept his, it was black and decayed with claws that could kill.

"I-I...do want that…" He said quietly, his fist clenching.

Her dark smirk turned into a sinister smile, "Take my hand, Rafael, and I'll grant you the power to become a god of all worlds. No more pain, no more being pushed around. Just peace, power and the ability to do as you please!"

His breath was shaky, his thoughts were swarming with millions of things.

Then, suddenly, it all clicked. Everything, from the revelations of Cenotaph and the rest of the Landers to the mission to everything about them and her came into crystal clear focus. Everything he learned, from how they came here, to how they adjusted and made friends. It was all in focus, and the being in front of him, needed correcting.

His hazel eyes snapped up to red, glaring with resolve, "You are wrong."

Rafael's back was straight, his voice calm and strong as he went on in the face of a surprised and slowly turning to anger Tatyana.

"There is a reason I was shown this, it was because I was trusted. And they didn't force me here, to learn what I learned. I chose to listen to them, because they are genuine. They want the same thing everyone wants, peace. They want to end the pain, the war that consumed a world and promises to consume ours. Their methods are different, but it has to be done. If the Primes chose them it was for a good reason, the Primes from what I have learned only have the best interest of all of living creation, and if they chose Cenotaph to be here, then it must be for a purpose.'

He stepped forward, she stepped back.

'Maybe Cenotaph was brought here to shake things up, to be the grey in a strange complex war of seemingly black and white war. Or, maybe she needs us more than we need her, maybe we are here to help her through her struggles and maybe she just needs a friend. I don't know for sure, but I wouldn't change a thing. Sure, it would be nice to be in control over my own fate and trust. But...that isn't life, I still have to learn in many aspects of life, real life. And real life is messy! So I shouldn't jump to conclusions, and maybe...I just need to be a friend for someone who is begging for it."

Tatyana roared angrily, a monstrous noise coming from her vocals. She stared down at the human with a deep set scowl.

"YOU ARE A FOOL! I WILL DESTROY YOU FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!"

She raked her claws down at Rafael, he raised his sword up to stop her and closed his eyes to take the impact.

But, when nothing came he opened his eyes to see blue chains wrapped around her. She growled and thrashed trying to break free to not avail. Looking behind her to see where the chains led too. It led to a figure in blue robes and a silver clasp holding it together, it seemed to look like a planet.

In a strangely calming voice, he said, "_That's quite enough from you, begone." _

Suddenly, Tatyana screamed as her form dispersed and floated away. The chains slithered back to the figure and under the robes. Then it was silent in the room once again, Rafael couldn't see the figures face but it didn't matter as he said.

"_Come, Rafael, time for answers."_

Then, everything went blue.

* * *

_Back with Cliffjumper…_

As soon as Rafael had passed through the magical wall of light, he had been engulfed in a blinding white light. When it had died down, he took a moment to readjust to his new surroundings. It was still dark, with low-lit torches on the wall, he was ankle deep in water, and there were strange devices submerged around him and a balcony on one wall with two seats.

"Raf? RAFAEL?! Are you here!?" He called out, looking for an exit but finding none.

The water rippled and splashed as he moved around, he looked at the submerged devices around him, only to realize something, these things...were torture devices. Ones that humans and Cybertronians had created in the past...and the present. He could even see the Cortical Psychic Patch lying amongst the different horrid devices.

"...what is this…?" He said, staring in horror.

Horrible memories resurfaced, of having his mind tampered with, and of receiving beatings and wounds from different Decepticons. He shook his head, trying to get rid of those thoughts, but then it was replaced with Starscream, and the image of him about to stab him.

"Grah...stop it…" He said to himself, trying to calm his raging mind.

"Hm, it seems I have found a tortured dead mech in a place where many have come to die it seems." A male voice called from behind him.

Spinning around in a battle stance, he stared down this new man in the room.

He wore a black tattered cloak, his face not visible under the dark cloak. His arms were long and strange with an unnatural color of purple. His fingers long and clawed that held a curved staff with it's end in the water. Around his waist was a silver chain that shifted ever so slightly.

"Who are you, where am I!?" Cliffjumper demanded from the strange figure.

His head cocked slightly, his voice whispery and strange, "Interesting…"

Cliffjumper growled, "What!? Am I amusing somehow!?"

The tiefling was at the end of his rope, he flicked his wrist and the punching daggers came out of their holder, subconsciously his tail swished and flicked at the water in agitation.

"Interesting, yes, very much so. I must ask, dead mech walking, how does it feel to distort reality? To change fate?" He asked, shifting slightly in the water.

"...what…?" Cliffjumper faulted in his stance, confused, "Start making sense, quick!"

The cloaked man laughed dryly, "The Primes and Primus himself tore up the pages dedicated forces older than themselves. By bringing in otherworlders, they have rewrote the cosmos and now, a dead mech walks the Earth."

"A dead mech? I'm not dead, I'm alive!" Cliffjumper said, stomping his foot and making the water slosh and splash.

The cloaked man slowly started walking around him, "No, you are a dead mech and deep down you know it as well."

Cliffjumper choked on retort as he felt his spark, in his real body, far from this world, clench horribly in pain. He keeled over, gasping in pain, looking back up at the figure he could now see that his staff glowed a faint purple.

"S-S-Stop-p…." He cried weakly as another wave of pain made him grunt and clutch his chest.

"Hm, begging? That's so unlike you, Cliffjumper. Why resist? Why resist death? Why….?" He hissed as he stopped in front of the wheezing man as he tried to quell the pain. "Tell me, Cliffjumper, how does it feel? How does it feel to be wrong, to be not as you should be? Tell me, do you want to be six feet under? Because you know that's where you are meant to be?!"

He gasped, straining to look up at the dark hood. His thoughts were racing, but in the middle of pain and fear came a crystal clear thought….this thing was right. To the 'reaper's credit, he was right. All this time, he knew something wasn't right, and he could tell by instinct that he wasn't meant to be there, the Landers as well.

Since he returned from the Decepticons, he was uneasy, and not sure of himself deep down.

"I-I-I d-don't want t-to….die…" He whispered, he screamed as another wave rippled in his spark again.

The robed figure growled and grabbed his face to his own black hood.

"You were meant to be mine, and mine alone. Primus and his Primes took you away from me! I will make sure you die and become mine, and then I will take Megatron, who was stolen by the same femme that stole you from ME!" He pushed Cliffjumper to the ground, water splashing up.

Cliffjumper's head was beneath the water and he tried to come back up only to be stopped and shoved down. The robed figure held him under the water as he continued to speak with more passion and anger.

"I know what Primus's plan is, I know what he tries and he will fail. I will rise again, I will destroy his precious Primes and those outsiders. And then, when the whole of reality is only chaos, shall I finally be in paradise! No one keeps me from my goal, not a Prime's chosen nor their fate bending cybertronians!"

Cliffjumper tried to struggle, finding that his new lungs burned from breath. The reality of what was happening made him more and more terrified. He had so many questions still left unanswered and he was about to lose that power to obtain it. Yes, he knew he should be dead, but that didn't mean he WANTED it!

As he became weaker and weaker, as his lungs turned from burning to inferno and as the shock took over his body, he prayed.

To any who would hear, to spare him once more, so that he could hold Arcee in his arms, so that he aid his new companions and so that he can protect his friends and save Cybertron.

Suddenly, the pressure was ripped away from him and he was pulled from the water.

He gasped and greedily sucked in the air to his inferno filled lungs. He saw the robed figure slowly getting up from where in the wall he was thrown with great force. The one who saved him was another figure in robes, these blue with a silver clasped that as he looked at it more was a silhouette of Cybertron. Blue chains slithered from underneath it, forming a barrier between them and the black robed figure.

"How...did you-" The black robed was cut off.

"_Nothing escapes my sight, brother, now begone."_ He said in a calming yet powerful voice.

The chains snapped out at the black robed figure and wrapped around him, crushing him tightly. He screamed in anger and agony before exploding into purple fire and ash. As the last flickered out of existence, that chain slowly came back to its owner before disappearing into the darkness of the cloak.

Cliffjumper stared in awe at the figure that now gently floated next to him. His spark was no longer in pain, but it felt….good? Warm, safe, content and...honored? Those words came to the mind when he thought of how his spark felt at the moment.

"Who are you?" He asked, slightly nervous for a good reason.

In a gentle and loving voice, he replied, "_Soon, my child. Come, we have much to discuss and I must gather the others."_

"The others? Are they having the same trouble as me? What about Raf? Is he alright?!" Cliffjumper asked, worried for his human ally.

He chuckled softly, "_Worrying for others? Do not fret, he is safe. As for the others, they do face similar dangers."_

"Even Cenotaph?" He asked blankly.

He sighed, _"Even she is not safe from the manipulations of my brother, though, I believe she will be fine for now. She is much more adept at dealing with my brother as his kind is familiar to her. I must worry about the others, as they aren't so adept. Now, no more questions, let us be off."_

Then, everything was consumed in blue light.

* * *

_On the Main Staircase…_

"What the-?" Were the first words that came out of Bulletta's mouth as she suddenly passed through a ripple in reality. One moment she was catching up to Nerium on the stairs and the next everything was warping and distorting all around her before a bright light blinded her.

When the light passed, she found herself in a new place, one devoid of Nerium or Wendigo. She stood on top of a tower, a staircase descending behind her and almost dissipating into nothingness. Next to this larger tower was a smaller one that went higher that had a roof and connected by a small bridge.

She then looked up and her eyes widened at the sight before her.

The sky was pure black with brilliant light and glowing material all around it. Stars twinkled in the sky and large nebula and galaxies visible. The most prominent feature was the moons, yes multiple. All different shades and shapes and sizes, in total were eight and each on its surface was carved a four pointed star. All of them positioned in a circle in the sky, and in the middle of that circle were five smaller objects, all but one with similar features, metal worlds of different metals and colors with it's each glowing parts.

There was only one that was organic yet it had metal on it too, with circuit boards running on its surface.

As she stared at it, she felt a kinship with the moons and the smaller worlds in it's center.

The one that stood out to her was a moon of a deep ruby red.

"H-How did she…?" She stared in amazement, she wondered how she could have come up with such a symbolic and simply breathtaking sight.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?" A new voice called out, turning she saw Cenotaph standing there in her organic form, her spellbook and staff missing. Her eyes, strangely, were a deeper purple than Bulletta remembered and held a colder and much sinister look than Cenotaph was ever capable of.

She frowned, sensing something wrong almost right away.

"Who are you?" She asked, half hoping that Cenotaph would retort in her usual way she did.

'Cenotaph' huffed, "You are quick to pick things up, my dear."

Stepping back and placing a hand on her pistol she said back, "I'll ask one more time, who are you? Are you the challenge that the illusion spoke of?"

'Cenotaph' laughed darkly, "Oh, oh-no I am afraid not. Cenotaph seemed to be too zealous about using the dreamscape. My dominion, after all, since my physical form is locked away deep beneath I only have this place to toy with my creations and enemies."

Something from her Atheneum popped up in her head somehow, almost screaming past the dream barrier parts of her mind. It said one thing. The identity of the creature who wore Cenotaph's skin.

Her eyes widened in fear, and a dark shiver ran down her spine. She gave a silent prayer to the Knowing Mistress, in hopes that her goddess would be her salvation this time around against such a terrible creature.

"Ah," It said with a sadistic smile, "You know, don't you? Good, that means you'll know who takes everything from you!"

It launched at her, but she was ready, rolling out of the way she hit the ground hard. Standing she pulled Veracity and fired, it screamed as it passed through it's form before laughing excitedly.

"Oh, I felt THAT! Good, good, that means you'll fight me more than the others!"

Bulletta shouted in rage and fear, "STOP IT! I'll make sure you never can get in here again!"

It looked confused and puzzled before sneering, "So, this is the true you. You care enough about Cenotaph only to ensure your survival. Tell me, why do you hate her yet rely on her? How does it feel, knowing you have to save a creature like her!?"

She stopped for a moment, hesitating, she shook her head trying to rid the thoughts. She knew this creature was all about mind games and was trying hard to not give in to it's thought process.

Suddenly she was hit off her feet, her body cracking as she hit the stonework beneath her. As she laid there, pain coming from her back where she had been pushed by the creature down, she caught a glimpse of the sky.

She gasped in fear as slowly the nebula's, galaxies and stars around the moons slowly disappeared. The moons and the objects started drifting apart and fading away, as the sky was slowly consumed by a gathering of purple light from a single dark source.

Bulletta stood quickly, seeing the creature inhaling deeply before looking back to her with a smug expression.

"What are you doing to her!?" She bellowed at the creature.

"Hah, so you care now!? What a strange and horrible being you are! I thought you hated her? Why do you care now!?" It sneered getting closer and closer to her.

Backing away in the circle, she gritted her teeth, "Because no one, not even her, deserves to be in your presence!"

"So I'm the reason? Or is it something deeper?" It asked with a smirk.

Bulletta stared back up at the now purple sky and dark object that hung there ominously. There was a tinge of pain in her spark and heart, and the words that Nerium spoke of before rang in the back of her head.

_...If I didn't know any better I'd say you are a hypocrite..._

_...Cenotaph may practice the dark arts, but I am sure there is a reason for it…._

_...Tsh, you need to calm down, that attitude will get you nowhere…._

_...You are a follower of Ioun, correct?...Then I can see why you hate lies and illusions, but magic, I don't get…._

_...Understandable, but this isn't your world anymore. Remember that…._

_...Then get with the program, just because she can use magic, doesn't mean she'll turn out like them. Yes, there's a chance, but if you are there, maybe you can change it…._

"I…" She started to say, staring at the creature with a frown.

Was she wrong? Did she jump too quickly ahead? Was Nerium right? Is she only doing this for her own survival?

No, this wasn't for her, it was for everything and one else's sake, for Cybertron and her citizens, for the war-torn mechs and femmes on the planet Earth, for the sake of saving humanity. For peace and prosperity. So then why, why was she….?

_I'm not doing this for me._

Was her single thought. And she realized what she had done, she selfishly let her own hate and desires of magic users onto others. She wasn't her for herself, she was here for others and she was hindering that effort. Cenotaph chose to come here, to help the people in this war, for one reason or another, and she was getting in the way of that!

"None of this," She said with growing resolve, "Is for me. It's not for my benefit, it's for theirs! I was wrong, I shouldn't be pushing Cenotaph away. It gets in the way of the reasons we are here, and I will stop you because you are in our way of our goal!"

She snapped her gun up, "Now, get out of her mind and never, ever come back!"

The creature growled, before a new voice made it freeze.

"_I couldn't agree more, Champion of Alchemist Prime."_

Looking to the side of her was another figure, clad in a blue robe with chains around and coming from beneath it, a silhouette of Cybertron holding the rope together. Her Atheneum broke through once again to inform her of this being, and she smiled in relief and praise.

The creature wearing Cenotaph's skin snarled, "AURAGH, STOP GETTING IN MY WAY!"

The robed figure simply said, "_Begone, Brother."_

The chains whipped out and dissipated the form of the dark Cenotaph until nothing remained.

Bulletta noticed the color changing around them and she looked up to see the dark sphere now gone, replaced with a single burning blue star in the black sky. Galaxies and Nebula started returning to the sky slowly, very slowly.

She looked back to her savior and smiled, "Thank you, it's an honor to meet you."

"_The honor is mine, my dear. Now come, we have much to discuss, don't we?" _He said almost coyly to her.

She giggled slightly, before she was blinded by a bright blue light of the star.

* * *

_Location, Unknown…_

It was unexpected, that much was certain. Ratchet opened his eyes sluggishly, trying the bring himself up, but, after what had happened he felt like he couldn't move. One moment ago, he was sitting with Cenotaph, the next there was a bright light and a wave knocking him off his feet only to land hard back on the ground.

His vision swam as he tried to focus on what was above him, as his vision came back he noticed a high arched ceiling and a dome above him. Slowly looking around he came to realize he was in some chapel, with high windows shattered, pews destroyed and a balcony above the whole chapel looking out.

"Ugh...what...happened?" He said slowly, sluggishly trying to stand.

He looked around him, trying to find a door out of this place only to find none. Then, for Cenotaph, as his state became better his heart and spark began to race as there was no sight of the femme around.

"Cenotaph!? Cena! Where are you?!" He called out, desperate to find where she had been thrown too.

He tried to reason why she wasn't calling out. Maybe she wasn't even here? But other possibilities worsening by the second flooded his mind. He needed to see that entrancing femme again, hear her strangely soothing and honeyed voice. Never before he met her was he apart from her, and now that he is, he finds himself anxious and worried.

It was strange, he never had anxiety on this scale before and to be honest, it frightened him a little. His more rational, logical side of him, ranted and raved to him about how this wasn't a good sign. He was becoming dependent on the woman, and that logical part of him hated that. He was a mech who could stand on his own, however, a new darker side of him that only recently came into the light said other things.

That it was okay to feel the need of being wanted, wanting something or someone's attention. It was what any good mech wanted from a perfect and beautiful femme such as Cenotaph. And the more he thought, the more he leaned into his newer side than his older side.

That logical part of himself he realized always had held him back.

Even now, it denies him his true desire, well one of them at least. He did worry about it a little, but pushed it away for now in favor of other thoughts. Like how in the Allspark he arrived here, and more importantly, where Cenotaph ended up.

"Hello? Cena are you here? Please answer me!" He called out, looking in every corner of the room for her frantically, finding nothing at the end of his search.

Ratchet was lost without her, and he didn't like being in the dark like this. If he lost her...well, that wasn't going to happen as long as he lived.

Suddenly, something caught his eye, near the altar where dust and corpses lay was slight movement. Just the bare minimum of dust was kicked up, now floating in the air. The light from the windows shifted suddenly as well, turning a sinister purple. He narrowed his eyes, preparing for anything when a familiar voice called out from the shadows.

"Old friend, what seems to be the matter?" Ratchet stared in shock as Optimus Prime, his leader, stepped from the shadows to stand at the altar of the church, a corpse beneath the altar making his friend seem more...ominous.

"Optimus? W-What are you doing here?!" He asked, taking a few steps towards him staring up at him in awe and surprise.

The Prime slightly chuckled, "Does that matter, what matters is that you seem frantic to find something. What is it that you are looking for?"

Ratchet looked away slightly, "Oh, that. I was with Cenotaph when I was thrust into this room by a force of unknown origin. I was...worried she might have been injured or something…" He lied.

That was something new, or well not so much, but still. It was new enough to make his spark and heart spike in fear slightly. Before he met Optimus, or even Team Prime, he told him everything. After all, they were great friends before the war and now during the war, what secrets would each other hide from on another?

Well, things changed, rapidly.

And now here he was, lying to a Prime and to his friend.

The strange thing of it all, was it didn't cause guilt, far from it actually. It caused fear, the fear of being found out as well as another emotion that crept as time went on. Thrill. An emotion he rarely felt in his younger days, he was more focused on his studies than seeking out thrills of any kind. But just by lying, he got a thrill, and that worried and excited him.

He came to realization, that he did feel a lot of thrill more so when Cenotaph was around.

"So, you were worried for the femme's health?" Optimus questioned, there again was that fear and thrill tingling in his chest.

He nodded, "Of course, she's one of our teammates. And her...frame and systems are unique, I have yet to understand it properly yet and thus worry about complications from medical issues that may arise."

Optimus cocked his head to the side like a curious animal, the purple back-lighting him making his colorful and bright paint seem almost darker. There was suddenly a very dark glint in his optics and an odd smile graced his faceplate.

"Tell me, what price are you willing to pay?" He asked, his voice strangely amused.

Ratchet stared at his old friend confused, "What are you talking about?"

"Hm, strange, I thought you were a smart mech?" He sarcastically said.

His brow knitted further, "I understood the question, but why are you asking me such a thing? I have no context, what price for what thing?"

The Prime smiled darkly, a darker glint forming his eyes as he smiled wickedly.

"Simple, old friend, I know you are learning magic from Cenotaph, I know you are trying to gain that power to aid the Autobots but I wanna know. How far will you go? Will you do what needs to be done, will you kill any who stand both of your ways? Will you betray the ideals you and Optimus Prime have for a temptress of a femme?"

The last question stopped Ratchet dead, as he stared up at the mech who slowly started making less and less sense. He realized that this mech was not Optimus, not by a long shot. He was someone else, wearing the metal of a Prime and his old friend. He backed away slowly, staring at the mech at the altar that was bathed in purple light.

"Who are you?" He asked, almost afraid of the answer.

The mech tilted his head again, "You do know me, yet not all at the same time. But that's not important, I want answers to my questions, and do be honest, I can tell when you lie."

He stared down the strange and dark mech, his mind turning and roiling.

Honestly, to himself, his logical side did ask those questions as well. Would he betray the morals of the Autobots in order to gain power enough to end their suffering? Would he do anything to achieve it, even killing someone not involved in the war? In reality, why did he fall helm over peds for this femme? Did she plan on only using him?

No, no she told him herself what her plans were. That much was clear, and he was in that vision as well.

Only time could tell for the others though, only Primus knew at this point of how far he would go. Maybe he would betray the Autobot code in the end, but what was the point of that code to begin with? To make them better than Decepticons? It was a little late for that, what with their home all but destroyed.

But all in all, time would tell, and he'd be damned if any strange mech would tell him what he should expect or do in such a case. Much less wear the Prime's skin.

"I don't answer to you, and why would I? You are an impostor, not deserving of that form and you have no right to meddle in my affairs, so LEAVE!" He shouted, standing his ground against the impostor.

Said mech, laughed and sneered, "Ah, so I was right. You are truly willing to do anything for power! Good, that's good, it means I can use you…." He said, slowly walking off the raised platform and walking towards him, "Soon, not even the Primes will be able to stand against me, not when they'll have to deal with you and that femme!"

Ratchet growled, "I don't know what you are thinking, but I will never be used by YOU! No matter who you are, I do not fear you."

He laughed again and bent down to eye level, purring, "Are you sure of that resolve, General?"

The mech glared at the impostor, but before he could say anything, a chain wrapped around his throat and pulled him away from Ratchet before tossing him through the already shattered window. The impostor screamed as he fell away from the castle, and Ratchet was left staring at the person who did such a thing.

A figure in a blue robe.

"_Come, it's time."_ The figure said in a soothing voice, the light behind him turning from purple to blue before engulfing the entire room and blinding him with said light.

* * *

_Location, Unknown…_

Cenotaph was not happy, not in the slightest. Here she was, trapped in a black cage, suspended in the Grand Dining Hall, with it's large piano organ and large table. The fire's that alighted the room glowed purple, and she hated that. For it was the purple flames from the studies fireplace that brought her here.

"Foolish...foolish…." She repeated to herself coldly, before screaming in rage and slamming her fist into the black metal.

She pulled back, looking at the now bloodied knuckles, she touched them gingerly, and hissed in pain. That was never a good sign. Pain, in this spell created place, was never wanted. She was the creator of this world, and she made sure no one could feel pain nor bleed. She didn't want them to die, just...be a little shaken up and understanding of each other.

_But...was that the real reason?_

Cenotaph replayed that question in her mind as she stared at the blood dripping onto the floor of her cage.

What was her true reasoning? Was it for what she claimed before, that she wanted to challenge and bond them closer as teammates or was it something completely different. The challenges she had set up, they were meant to challenge them to not only see their own beliefs and thought processes were easily askew in certain scenarios but to not be so narrow sighted in the way they used to do things.

She wanted them to branch out, to rethink everything. They weren't in their respected homeworlds. This wasn't a world of dragons and monsters, as far as she knew, and so many things were different here. They weren't just in this for money or glory like the olden days, they had a mission, a job to do that they accepted wholeheartedly.

Cenotaph, deep down, was worried.

She wondered if some bad habits of her fellow landers were still around. She was an adventurer herself and fought alongside others for a long time. They were times where they weren't the best of people, making some more questionable decisions. And she could see some of those bad habits in Bulletta and Moonfall most of all.

Bulletta was stuck in her ideological ways, denying her past and making herself trapped within a cage of negative emotions that lead to mental breakdown. She was stubborn, a know-it-all, and a prideful creature. She took pride in her work and knowledge, in her goddess and that made her blind to new opportunities. She was also a hypocrite, demonizing magic and it's casters because of a few rotten eggs, while at the same time using enchantments on her weapons to create magical attacks.

Then Moonfall, while brief she could easily tell what was going through the femme's head. She had seen that type of struggling person in her past after all. She was defensive in all aspects, and clearly lacked certain social skills when picking up certain aspects from what she saw while taking a peek at them once in a while in the castle.

She was also heavily scarred spiritually and mentally, if her disdain for gods was an indication of anything. The poor thing experienced more than someone at her age should ever face, but then again it was very common in adventuring types.

The others, Starscream, Cliffjumper and Rafael, were something that didn't interest her to the extent that the other Landers did. But she surmised she'd get a feel of them later on when she settled things with her own people.

But, there was someone above all that garnered her attention.

Ratchet, her apprentice.

At first, she merely was curious as to why Quintus Prime sent Ratchet to her. Then, that curious nature grew and grew the more time she spent with him. He was talented in his medical field, he was a stubborn yet intelligent and realistic mech. His own curiosity was also fascinating, how he wanted to tear apart her frame to understand how she worked and how he'd treat her in case of medical emergency. Those piercing blue optics trying to decipher her made shivers run down her spine.

His love for learning also drew her in, the fact that another wished to teach them again was enough to make up her mind.

But what caught her attention was how attentive he was in every aspect. He wondered about who she was and what she did to become the person she was today. Ratchet wanted the real Cenotaph, not the teacher, not the necromancer, not the seductress, but Cenotaph, her true self. And that was hard for her.

For sometime Cenotaph never questioned who she was or what her past did to affect her. But with him, she started to wonder, how did she end up like this? Here in this place, a cage in her own mind, she could only think of how she got here and why.

It all came back to that single thought, why?

And it bugged her, more so than the stinging hand she cradled.

"My, my, someone seems troubled." A dark and slick voice asked from the shadows, the voice bouncing off the room's large walls. Cenotaph tried to find the source, but found none.

"Who dares meddle in MY affairs?!" She hissed to the shadows around her, her violet eyes boring holes into it.

The voice laughed, deep and dark and power. "You never cease to amaze me, Fraya Stormbringer or Cenotaph as you like to call yourself now."

"Show yourself coward! I have nothing to hide!" She growled, spinning around wildly in her cage.

"Oh? Is that so, my dear? I think you have many things to hide, many, many things." He cooed at her which only drove her rage.

She slammed her foot down, a clang ringing throughout the room, "WHO ARE YOU?!"

The voice hummed, "I'm called many things, my dear, the humans of this world have many names for me. The Devil, most used these days. Others know me as the Chaos Bringer, Lord of Destruction. By my brothers' creations, they call me Unicron."

Her heart and spark froze in realization, "Unicron...the dark counterpart of Primus...h-how!?"

He laughed, his voice sinister, "My dear, you walk on MY world! For humanity are my children! Why do you think they are so more chaotic than those damned scions of Primus!? Ha, you've also entered my realm! I can control the dreamworld, for my form is nothing but a corpse. I have so much time to refine my mind, and have tested it time and time on my children."

"You….of course." She said with a growing sly grin, "I should've known, such a creature of chaos that you are can't resist can't you? You want to keep the chaos of the war that your brother's children are embroiled in. You want to stop us, and by doing this you have a chance. Adorable."

He snarled, "Don't assume things woman. It'll be your doom to assume things of a god!"

She laughed, "A god? No, no, I don't give a fuck about the gods. And you are no god, you are a mere child having a temper tantrum."

Something violently knocked into her cage rattling her and throwing her into the bars.

Unicron bellowed at the woman, "SILENCE YOU WRETCH!"

Cenotaph laughed again, almost insanely, she went on. "Oh COME ON! You are just _proving _my point! Ha ha, you'll never win either, _I won't let you_…."

Her eyes flashed violently with black magic and the whole room shook, suddenly the cage vanished and she was held aloft by the black power. Her face twisted in a dark maniacal look as the room shook and suddenly Unicron's avatar, a being of purple and black with bat wings and a tail, large horns from his head and wearing earthen like armor that was sharp and heavy was pulled into the center and wrapped in black chains.

"RAAGH, RELEASE ME AT ONCE!" He screamed.

"I am not to be trifled with, my mind is my palace, and you are not welcome, fake god. Now, you will remain here, trapped forever in torment and pain. It shall be your lesson never ever mess with a necromancer who has hundreds of years of experience under her belt." She twisted her hands and the chains pulsed with power, he screamed as black foreign magic coursed through his avatar.

He huffed when it ended, "You….dare…!" He thrashed uselessly.

"Let the fun begin…." She purred.

She twisted and crushed the avatar in the chains, shooting raw magic into its form making the avatar scream in annoyance and pain. Cenotaph lost herself in his screams, forgetting everything but the pain and inflicting as much as she could.

"You should've never messed with the Falling Stars!" She yelled over the screams of pain.

"_Indeed, but that's quite enough, Champion of Quintus Prime!"_ A loud booming voice echoed in the chamber.

Unicron's eyes snapped open, and well into anger. "PRIMUS, I WILL CRUSH YOU AND YOUR DAMNED CHAMPIONS FOR THIS INSOLENCE!"

"_Not today, brother, now it's time for your finale. Never return here again!"_ Again the voice boomed and coming behind the femme drenched in dark magic could see blue robes flickering next to her. Then, chains wrapped around hers before snaking around Unicron and forcing him to turn into a blinding purple light that shot up and out of the room.

Cenotaph shivered as the presence left her, and turned to see what was behind her.

The figure in the blue robe floated in front of her with no sign of hostility. She stared in shock and confusion, the dark power still swirling out of her eyes and form.

"You are Primus, aren't you?" She asked, staring bewilderedly at the figure.

"_Indeed I am, Cenotaph."_ He said with a soft voice, "_Come now, no need for that."_

A hand, made of pure Energon, came from under the robe and grabbed her hand softly. Slowly, the darkness faded from around her with the room as well as they were left in a void. She stared at Primus, confused as with her magic now gone she could feel emotions being pulsed through his arm, raw and untamed.

Sadness, fear, grief, anger, guilt.

It only took her a moment to realize that these emotions weren't his, they were hers. He was just amplifying it, his was hard to read, too much for a mere mortal to explain and thus hers was more prominent.

"W-What are you-" She was cut off.

"_My champion, you are a strange creature, you hold such darkness close to your heart that you do not realize how withered it's become. You show yourself as powerful, confident, all-knowing, yet you are not. Stop being what dictates others feelings towards yourself for you only push them away. Be honest with them and yourself, and let them make the choices they need to choose."_ He let go of her arm.

Cenotaph just stared at the god before her, and shook her head.

"Let's just get everyone here to get it over with, I'm done with this." She said, turning from the god and focusing on finding and bringing them all to a new location.

He sighed but let it go for now, "_Allow me to aid you."_

Then everything turned blue before her eyes.


	18. Dream Team, Part 4-The Finale

**_A/N: Heyo everyone! Welcome to the final part of Dream Team, phew, this was...alot...I guess you could call this the turning point in the story, as from now on this story will be rated Mature, it won't be mature all the time, but it just as time goes on things are going to get mature. But with that being said, I still hope you enjoy this as I am releasing this as a double-release with the other side of the story! So, you can read both sides of the conversation below and man...was it so much to write!_**

_**I do hope you enjoy it, as from here on out, things are going to get awesome, dramatic, intense and down right dark and beautiful sometimes!**_

**_Now please, enjoy the show!_**

_Chapter 18-Dream Team, Part 4-The Finale_

_Autobot's POV_

_Unknown Location..._

When the blue light faded from the world, a new one was shown. All around them were tall white marble pillars, with large stained glass windows in between them, each depicting events in Cybertron's history, including recent ones such as the battle at the Spacebridge.

The room was large and tall, with dark blue floors and a table in the center of it all, made of an unknown red type of wood, there were chairs around it, enough for all of them and one other person. Above the table was a large chandelier made of gold and what appeared to be different colors of Energon embed within it.

But also, with the light gone, they could see each other for the first time.

Separated by faction, the Autobots stood on one side while the Decepticons the other and the Landers in the middle of them. Each of them are still in their organic forms gained in this world but now slightly different.

Each wore a badge somewhere on their person of a symbol of an eight-pointed star colored in magenta with wings on each side. It clicked in their minds that this, this was the true symbol of the Cabal.

Someone clears their throat and all heads turned to the table where sat at one of the chairs was a man. He looked like he was made of pure blue Energon and the familiar cloak and clasp quickly gave him away to everyone.

"Welcome, to my inner sanctuary, your minds are currently at the very core of Cybertron. As some of you may know, I am Primus and we have much to discuss." He said with open arms.

"Wait...WHAT!?" Cliffjumper yelled out, staring wide eyed at the god at the table.

Some others stared in shock as well, save but a few, Rafael seemed more confused though.

Cenotaph huffed, "So, the creator deity of the Cybertronian race wishes to speak. I can only imagine since Unicron, your brother and deity of chaos, did invade our minds."

"We'll get to that in a moment, but first," Nerium said, looking to Cenotaph before yelling, "WHAT THE ACTUALLY LIVING FUCK WERE YOU THINKING!?"

Cenotaph, usually calm in these types of scenarios, actually jumped a little to her surprise. But she chalk that up to having a worn down mind from being toyed with by Unicron. She sighed and looked at the gnomish femme and crossed her arms before saying.

"Right, the challenges." She turned to Primus looking for help but he merely did nothing, "Alright, look, I just wanted to test you all and bring you closer together as individuals for the greater good of the Cabal...but that would also be a lie. I was trying to control you all, to make you change your outlooks but I realize this wasn't the best way to do it, and that you should do it on your own...I am sorry."

Bulletta and Rafael stared at Cenotaph in the most shocked out of everyone.

Again, the words of Nerium ringed in her ears and she sighed, "I am also sorry, Cenotaph."

The necromancer turned in surprise at the femme, "What?"

"I judged you too quickly and I realize...that I have been harsh with my opinions about you and your magic. For that I am sorry, and I hope that we can be a better team as well. And thank you, for admitting that, it feels nice to know that you have some faith in us and me." She said with a sad smile, she extended her hand to the necromancer who took it and shook it.

"Thank you, for giving me a chance. And as well, forgiving my faults." She said while looking at the others.

"While that's all great and dandy I kinda wanna know something," Starscream said, holding onto Moonfall who had shakenly walked up to him, "How did Unicron get in here? Why was he here?"

"I will explain that, come and sit, I will tell you a tale." Primus said, motioning the chairs.

Everyone looked at each other before coming to sit around the table, Cenotaph and Ratchet beside each other, silently wondering what the other went through. Rafael and Cliffjumper silently stared at each other as well, wondering if they were still friends after that little spat beforehand. Bulletta kept her eyes on Primus, her curious nature wondering what he was about to tell her and her Atheneum singing happily at the new information.

The Decepticons, Nerium, Moonfall and Starscream seemed slightly closed off to the Autobots, but it didn't matter as they rather focused on their own and Primus who commanded attention in the room.

He clasped his hands in front of him and sighs, "To understand the events of today we must start at the very beginning. Long ago, the universe was created by a being I called The Primordial Spark. I never knew their true name but they were the creator of me and my brother, Unicron.'

He sat back in his chair, 'They sent us off into the universe, for what purpose I never knew, but we wandered the universe that they birthed. Then, we came upon a star system, one young and not bearing worlds yet. We decided to create mortal beings, so that they too could enjoy the splendor of the universe.'

'The world in which my Cybertronians inhabit was not the first world I built. That world, the first and last world that both me and my brother made, was the true world of my first creations, made from both our essences. We called it Cyberus, and it was paradise. But, as time wore on, my brother became...demented.'

Primus shifted, his eyes closed as memories played back, 'He began demanding things, things of me and of our creations. He wanted to be the only one, the only god that they worshiped. But he was denied it, by them and by me. Soon enough, he sought power to defeat me and take over everything. I don't know where he went, but when he returned...'

'Madness, destruction, hate, delusions, all of it took his mind and consumed him. I tried to protect them, our creations, but Unicron was too far gone. We fought our first battle of many, and in the end when I banished him to the far reaches of space, I realized too late that the planet and our creations were dead.'

A silence took the room, all of them listening intently at his next words. Bulletta and Cenotaph wondered about where Unicron may have gone but left it for now as he went on.

'Stricken with grief, I used my very body to create a new world for _my_ creations. I pulled sparks not from the power of both our sparks but mine alone. The Allspark, is my spark, shattered into millions of pieces to create...all of you.' He pointed to the Cybertronians, 'You are your own person but you all came from the same place. That includes the Thirteen Primes, my first creations that would lead my children. But their reign wasn't to last, as Unicron corrupted one of the Thirteen. Chaos erupted once more, but this time I was ready for him.'

Sitting straight up he looked to the table in front of him. 'The Thirteen defeated Unicron and put him into a deathless slumber. But...mere moments afterwards my Primes fell into discord themselves and many were left dead afterwards. After that it is history you all know of till the present day."

"So, Unicron simply wants you to suffer for all you've done to him." Bulletta said, staring at the god with curiosity.

Primus huffed, "That and more, his madness creates delusions in his mind. The reason he could get you all here was because he has had time in the mental plane as well as the dreamworld. And he had an even better one to get in here if that failed...Moonfall."

The others stared surprisedly at the god before Moonfall, in a shaky voice said, "He's right."

"Indeed, Dark Energon surrounds her spark, it was placed there due to her previous life and species. As well it kept her from dying during the space bridge explosion." He looked to Moonfall with a sad expression, "I am sorry that you had to go through what my brother did to you, but know this, I and the others won't let him get away with any of this."

She nodded silently and grasped Starscream's hand tighter.

"Alright, so Unicron basically came here to make himself known and to try and take us away from you." Cliffjumper summarized, "So, does that mean that this is only the beginning?"

"Unfortunately so, with current events in place it will only be a matter of time before my brother tries to reawaken once again. If that happens, the Earth will be doomed as he rests at the very center of the world. That is why we must stand united, because if he wins, humanity will die, my children will die and this war of theirs will spill out into the universe until only death and chaos remain." Primus said, his hands clenched tightly together.

There was a silence in the room, everyone taking stock of the situation.

Then, Ratchet spoke up, "So, what now?"

"Now?" Bulletta said, looking at each of them, "Now we need to figure out our strategy, not only for Unicron's rising, but also our first mission. We need to be on the same page, and we need a clear path into the future."

"I'll leave that to you, take as much time as you want here and any request made will be fulfilled in reality. I must take a step back, and rest." Primus said, standing with a tired smile, "I leave my children's future in your hands, Fallen Stars, and I know you will not fail me."

A bright flash of blue consumed the room until it dimmed once more and both him and his chair were gone, leaving the room silent in his wake. Rafael looked around him at the table, and silently prayed that what he had walked into won't be his death.

"I think we need to establish one thing first," Bulletta said, taking charge of the meeting, "We need to understand our strengths and weaknesses, in both Fallen Stars and Satellites. The Atheneum in my head is analyzing everyone as well as past knowledge gained from this dreamworld to determine such things, is it alright if I divulge this?"

It seemed like the right thing to ask of them, and besides, secrets were never her thing. And even lying to the Autobots and Sierra was wearing her down. She was excited to speak about this, as this room was filled with people who were free to hear her words without her worrying about what she had to say.

"Go ahead, Bulletta, it would seem beneficial I think." Nerium said, her cold demeanor returned from her explosive one earlier.

The grey tiefling nodded, "First, I'll discuss what we are already aware of. Together, from both factions, we have two magical users and two fighters with unique skills. I am a Fighter Gunslinger with only slight magical capabilities, so I mainly deal heavy physical damage while Moonfall, who is a Fighter Eldritch Knight, specializes in using magic to aid her in battle giving her a versatile damage output. Cenotaph is pure magic, being a Wizard Necromancer, while Nerium is a Druid in the Circle of Land-Mountain, who has more versatile magical set output and great battlefield control magic."

"Okay, so the Landers are a well-versed team it seems, together you could take on many enemies at once. But, why is that important?" Rafael asked, he wondered how talking about their powers was going to help here.

"Well it also shows our weaknesses," Nerium said, staring at the human, "We have no major healers whatsoever. As a Druid, my class usually can heal but I am not capable of such things. I am a battlefield controller and damage dealer, and thus don't have some of the spells needed to heal as I've never had use for them before."

Moonfall chimed in, her shaking lessened, "As well, it means that since we have two out of the four Landers main magic-users it means they're especially weak. Magic users may have a lot of utility, but are not as hardy as me or Bulletta, especially since magic-users can't have really heavy armor as it stops them from performing magic effectively."

"But what about us, how can we even the odds?" Starscream asked, "If you are so unbalanced then can't we do anything?"

"The Atheneum analyzed the rest of you, and has assigned the class that fits best with your current tool set." Bulletta said, "What's also interesting is that the form you have now shows what kind of creature you'd be in our worlds."

"So I can finally find out what I am?" Ratchet asked, playing with his slightly pointed ears.

"It's interesting, I never intended these forms for you all, it must be an inner version of yourself that reflects our world's races, so I am very curious." Cenotaph said, smiling playful at Ratchet who smirked back at her.

"Then let's begin." Bulletta said with a roll of the eyes at the antics of the necromancer and medic. "Starscream is what we call an Air Genasi, a people coming from the elemental plane of Air. His class is that of a Rogue Mastermind, a killer of the shadows who can use his charm and mind to deter others for his true intentions."

As soon as those words left her mouth, a white light surrounded Starscream and then faded. His black studded leather armor remained the same but now was engraved with runes and it seemed more robust than before. The cloak now replaced, with a purple scarf with a hood, a clasp with the symbol of the Cabal holding it together. On his hip was a long sword with a blue jewel in the hilt as well as a silver rapier and three stiletto daggers.

He stood in surprise, "W-What the….!"

"Huh," Cenotaph said, staring at the newly outfitted Air Genasi, his silvery-white hair and blue skin remained the same but now his red eyes from his cybertronian form adorned his eyes. "It seems you have come into your own after knowing who you are."

"Will that happen to the rest of them?" Nerium asked, staring curiously at Starscream's new form.

"I assume so." Moonfall said, staring at Starscream with an unknowable expression.

"Then let's go on," Bulletta said, then turning her head to Rafael. "Raf, you are unique in that you remain human, but your mental age is reflected in your form which is around 19 to 21 years old. But you are adaptable by nature, which aids you in your class. That being a Bard of the College of Lore. A bard that seeks all knowledge and then divulges them to the world. Magic comes not from blood and scholar knowledge but from your words."

Again, the light consumed the one spoken of. Rafael stared at himself in awe as the light faded. His brown leather armor that covered his chest, shoulders and arms was still brown and now studded with again ruins embedded as well. The shawl was replaced with a long coat of orange that faded into yellow at the top, and the tail in three sections. He wore black pants with brown boots and gloves. Around his torso remained the pouches, a whip and strange box looking like a deck of sorts. On his hand was a ring of the cabal symbol.

His hair, glasses and other features remained the same but now a gold chain with a purple jewel hung from one ear.

Staring at himself he smiled, "Cool, thanks." he said to Bulletta who smiled warmly.

"Of course, now it's your turn Cliffjumper." She said.

Cliffjumper huffed, "Bring it."

"You, my friend, are a Tiefling such as I, but colored red which is the most common. That means you have an affinity towards fire as I am towards necrotic energy. That means you can spew forth fire like I can necrotic energy. And then, you're class, that of a Monk in the Way of the Kensei. A monk trained with weapons as an extension of oneself and using one's Ki to enhance strikes."

Again, it occurred. His sleeveless shirt that wrapped around his neck was simple, and colored black, he still wore a sash around his waist that was colored gold, and his black pants tucked in with bandages that wrapped around his shins and bare feet. A clasp held the symbol and a shawl wrapped around his chest colored gold as well. Bandages wrapped his hands and forearms, but now gold metal wrapped his forearms in a integrity design.

His orange hair was turned pitch black and long with braids in them, his horns and red skin the same as well and his eyes the same dark blue. But his weapons changed as well, now he held a greatsword and on his back was a white and gold bow, with little suns on it.

"Now this is incredible!" He said, staring at his new get up. "You're turn, doc."

Ratchet growled, "Don't call me that."

He chuckled but said nothing, going back to admire the bracers that felt strange to him.

Bulletta simply rolled her eyes, then turned to the last one, the one that interested her the most. She didn't know how this would go down, but she didn't want to wait any further to tell him what he truly was.

"Ratchet, you are a Half-Elf, half human, half elf. Usually they are seen as bastards of society with no true home and accepted more by men then by elves. Your elven nature gives you an advantage over normal humans and you live quite longer than humans. But, this holds little sway over your class, or well classes. You are a Multi-Classer, which is not rare but not expected of you.' He stared enraptured, Cenotaph frowned slightly.

'Your first class is that of a Wizard in the school of Necromancy, this I expected, with your scholar knowledge and thirst to learn from Cenotaph in the way of arcane power. But what I didn't expect, was that of another class, that of a Paladin and that of an Oathbreaker. Looked down for breaking their oath to the gods, through will alone you retained your power and gained more by following no god. Both of these classes give you power, not only to heal, but to destroy."

A light came again, and Ratchet was completely changed. The others stared in shock at the revelation. Oathbreakers were usually dark and evil creatures that broke their tenants and oaths, but for Ratchet to be one was shocking. But Cenotaph understood, he started to question his Prime's word, and didn't see what the Autobots saw. He's an Oathbreaker, because he doesn't follow the oaths of the Autobots, but his own.

When the light faded, Ratchet now standing took in his new form. He wore heavy magenta and silver plate armor, on the shoulder was the symbol of the cabal, he wore a black cloak with a fur mantle around the neck, on the table rested a helmet with a caged looking front and plating on the back. On his hip was a large dadao sword, with runes carved into the blade and on his other side was a shield made of black metal and a gold center that held a blue gem.

In his gauntlet hands which were sharp at the ends, was a staff made of a black metal with lava like veins on it, on top were two orange collide snakes with a crystal that looked like a sun floating there.

He stared in awe, taking in the armor and the staff in his hands.

"Woah, you go doc!" Cliffjumper said, slamming his hand onto Ratchet's back which barely moved or bothered him. The newly minted Monk however hissed and pulled his hand back having just hit heavy plate armor.

"Careful, even as a Monk you might break your hand." Nerium said with a sarcastic smirk.

Cliffjumper rolled his eyes but remained silent, Ratchet sat back down, giving Cenotaph a side glance who was looking at him and up and down. He felt power coursing through him, and he could sense the same power coursing through her. He could see power in certain weapons and objects that they had. He wondered what he was gifted, what they all were.

Cenotaph wondered, if he was a Paladin, was his 'god' Optimus? Or Primus or something else. Her curiosity of him grew more, and the form he now took wasn't to bad to look at. He definitely was the right person to lead her undead horde, but time would tell.

Moonfall cleared her throat. "Now that this is done, we seem to have a more or less rounded group. Along with us, we have a Paladin/Wizard, a Bard, a Monk and a Rogue, we should be able to tackle any task ahead of us if we work together. That said, we need to decide the logistics of the Cabal. We need a leader, we need a base, we need a form of communication and we need a plan, let's start with the first."

Starscream held his head, "Well, I don't think we should have one leader."

"Maybe we shouldn't have any!" Rafael said, bouncing off of the Rogue, "It should be democratic, we should vote on what we wanna do and give everyone a chance to make their case."

Bulletta raised any eyebrow, "But could that make some discussion's impossible?"

Raf sighed, "It's better than one person taking on the responsibility."

"He's right," Nerium said shrugging her shoulders, her golden bird bobbing her head while sitting on her shoulder, "No leaders, it'll just go to someone's head."

"Then it's settled, next we need a base-of-operation…" Cliffjumper said, tapping his chin thoughtfully, "What about your place, Cenotaph?"

She deadpanned, glaring at him, "Hard no, that's my personal lab, pick something else."

"Primus said our wishes would come true in reality if we wanted it, so could he whip us up a base?" Raf asked.

Ratchet looked thoughtfully at the Bard, "Sure, that's obvious, but where are we going to put it?"

"Hm, hold on." Bulletta said, she stood from her chair and imagined a map of Earth in front of her. Suddenly, a hologram appeared with several locations already highlighted. She knew Primus was giving a hand with picking some, and some were quite interesting.

"Woah." Rafael whispered in awe, earning a smile from both Ratchet and Cliffjumper at the child's wonder.

Ratchet stood from his seat and selected a random point on the round globe, "Here, this one is located in the Marianas Trench in the deepest part of the Earth's ocean."

"I don't like water….I once almost drowned." Nerium said, shivering at the memory.

"Alright," Moonfall picked another location, "How about in the Sahara Desert, underneath the Pyramids of Giza?"

"Living under an ancient monument and tomb? No thank you." Bulletta said, shaking her head, the thought of their base being attacked was a possibility, she won't risk such a place then.

"What? Scared of mummies or something?" Cliffjumper said, playfully jabbing at her.

Bulletta sighed, "No, and don't mention mummies, those are actually undead creatures."

"Oh...sorry." Cliffjumper awkwardly said before shifting focus, picking another place, "How about...a deserted tropical island? Oh, that would be a nice place…"

"We need a base, not a getaway vacation for your pleasures, Cliff." Starscream said before asking. "How are we going to decide? This seems like too much!"

Cenotaph then said, "It needs to be defend-able and easily hidden, but not too close to human populations or their historic landmarks. As well, it shouldn't be in the ocean and it should be big enough to house more of us…."

A silence took the room as everyone studied the map for a suitable location. As Cenotaph kept staring at it, something caught her eye, there was a maker just floating in the atmosphere. Curious, she touched said marker, drawing the others attention.

"Huh," She said, reading it, then looking to the others, "How about this, our base of operations is actually a ship."

Starscream lit up at the idea, "Like the Nemesis?"

"Exactly," Cenotaph said, pointing to him before looking back to the map, "If we have a ship, we can have it anywhere we want, but we'll need to make sure we don't run into the Nemesis or human aircraft, Starscream, usually what altitude does the Nemesis hover at?"

Starscream thought for a moment, "It ranges, from the Troposphere to outside the Exosphere."

Bulletta hummed, "Well, if it fluctuates so much, then maybe we don't care about altitude but cloaking tech. The Nemesis is cloaked from detection from machines but not from the human eye, what if we did both?"

Raf's eyes sparkled, "Like they did in the Avengers, with the helicarrier?"

"...uh...sure? Anyways, if we can imagine a ship with this type of cloaking device, I'm sure Primus can whip it up." Bulletta said, looking confidently at the point on the map.

Moonfall interjected, "I have a question, why are we trusting a god to do this?"

Starscream sighed sadly, "I know you don't do well with gods but trust me when I say this one won't bite us in the aft, alright Moonlight?"

Under her breath, Cenotaph said, "Aw, that's cute."

She was silent before relenting, "Alright, if you say so. Now the question is how can we imagine something as complex as a ship?"

"Leave that to me and my Atheneum!" Bulletta exclaimed, she squinted her eyes shut and put her fingers to her temples as she concentrated on making a ship that required all that they needed. It came to her in a flash, with the tech the discussed earlier, along with weapons and defense, she even came up with the color and designs of the rooms.

Suddenly, the projection changed from a map to a blueprint, that of a large ship...a sea ship...made of wood...and sails...and magical elevation orbs. Everyone that was a Lander stared blankly at the 'ship'.

Nerium sighed and said, "Bulletta...just...no."

Moonfall then joined her in saying, "We should have our Satellite's input as well as ours, and that," She pointed to the ship, "Is not going to serve us well."

"Okay, okay, I get it, don't have to be so mean about it." She said, pouting and sitting back down with her arms crossed.

The projection vanished and Starscream hummed, "Wait, we haven't even considered that we would need a crew to maintain it, and none of us can be on it all the time. How'd we even keep it in the air?"

"He's right, unfortunately….." Rafael said, shaking his head in despair.

"Unless, if we do have a crew, that can do as we command without complaint or complication." Cenotaph purred, a twisted and dark smirk gracing her lips as her violet eyes flared in excitement at the idea that just crossed her mind.

Ratchet, next to Cenotaph, shivered at her smile, finding it very attractive on her.

"Ah, an undead army, I assume?" Nerium asked, with a dark glint in her eyes.

"Exactly, if me and Ratchet can raise enough undead and set them to work, we'll have a crew that will never tire, never eat or anything else but guard and run the ship. And speaking of that guarding, anyone who tries to take it will be faced with an unstoppable undead horde, _AH_, it will be wonderful to watch _them be torn limb from limb!_" She laughed eagerly, chewing on her thumb as her eyes sparkled darkly.

Bulletta laughed nervously, swallowing the part of her that wanted to scream at Cenotaph before saying. "How many are we talking about?"

Cliffjumper interjected, "Well, it would depend on how large the ship is, right?"

Cenotaph nodded, "Which is why we also need at least blueprints. It will take awhile to find that many viable cybertronian corpses after all and then raising them and setting them to task."

"But...what kind of undead are we talking about? I thought zombies were mindless?" Bulletta said, then laughing nervously, "Sorry, my knowledge of undead is...narrow-minded I assume?"

"Very...narrow-minded," Cenotaph said with a sigh but smiled, "But that is to be assumed, yes, zombies are simple minded but the raiser can command them. But, to operate a ship such as this needs more...greater undead."

"Okay, we'll leave that all to you, but we still need a plan for the ship." Nerium said, before looking up at the room around them. "What if...the Primes did it for us?"

Starscream looked skeptically, "But...this is _our _ship, shouldn't _we _design it?"

"Even with you guys," Moonfall motioned to the cybertronians and human, "We wouldn't ever come to a consensus together. We all need different things, what we need, is someone of higher power who knows ultimately what we need...like Solus Prime."

"The Forger, of course, she could come up with anything so why not a ship? Cliffjumper smiled at the new plan.

Ratchet sighed, "No, we are not using a Primly power to make us a ship. We can't rely on them for everything, what we need is to agree on a design, together."

Nerium sighed, "Easier said than done…"

Suddenly a projection appeared in the middle of the table, it was of a large ship that looked like a dome that had the resemblance of a starfish. But, the outstretched parts came to sharp points and there were eight and when looked from top down, it looked like the eight pointed star. If it were looked from the ground it would be the same but the whole was bent down and if it were on the ground the eight points would be the arches holding the entire thing up.

The ship itself was large, on top it was painted white and underneath it was painted purple. No windows were visible, but at the center of the dome star was a spear running through it, longer underneath and shorter on top and had biolights wrapping around it. The spire itself was also color coded correctly with its side, the top part white and the bottom part purple.

"Oh. My. Gods." Bulletta stared in awe at the ship.

Rafael adjusted his glasses, his eyes sparkling with amazement, "Woah...who did that?!"

Everyone stared at each other but no one took responsibility, then Moonfall spoke.

"I think we all did this, subconsciously." She said, flicking her hand making the ship turn slightly.

"Well, it's incredible. How big is it?" Starscream said, staring at the ship, suddenly stats appeared next to the ship.

Cenotaph read it quickly and jumped, "By the unholy gods, it's large enough to cover Jasper, Nevada. It's more than a ship, it's more like a space station, a massive one."

"That means it's bigger than the Autobot base and the Nemesis combined." Bulletta said, staring at the large ship.

"What should we call it?" Nerium asked, petting her bird who tried to look closer at it.

Everyone thought for a moment, thinking of a name for their ship, then Cliffjumper spoke up.

"What about this, _The Celestial Promise_?" He asked, staring at their reactions, the name had come out of the blue but he believed the Primes had something to do with it.

Everyone's faces lit up and everyone began immediately chatting and agreeing with the name. Chatter and laughter filled the room before Cenotaph brought them back down from the excitement.

"_The Celestial Promise_ it is, since we all came up with it that means it has everything we need. Now I need to figure out how many dead we'll need and by the looks of it, I'd ballpark it around 2,000 to 4,000 just to maintain the thing, then we need guards and watchmen which will bump it up to around 5,000 to 7,000 undead." Everyone stared in silent shock at her numbers.

"Where are we going to get that many?!" Starscream almost yelled, until his face dawned on something, "...There's only one place with that many Cybertronian dead, millions of corpses ready for the taking…"

"Indeed, it seems we'll need to get to Cybertron and start somehow mass raising the dead on the planet. But, that means that both me and Ratchet would be gone for a long time, we'd be noticed and how would we get it to Cybertron if we need that much undead to get it to move?" Cenotaph said, not upset, but curious as to solving the puzzle.

Moonfall then perked up, "Wait, do the Decepticons still have access to Cybertron?"

Starscream sighed, "Yes, we've been building a new portal for Shockwave and Project: Predacon, since all this material is back on Cybertron. Though, once it's complete we could transport corpses through and then send them to you, Cenotaph."

"We got a completion date on that portal?" Ratchet asked, staring at the seeker unsteadily. Hearing the word Predacon and Project in the same sentence had him worried for what that scientist was cooking up.

"It won't be done for at least two more human months." Starscream said with a sigh.

Cenotaph smirked, "Then that gives me enough time."

Rafael looked pointedly at her, "For what?"

"I need to mass produce lower, intermediate and higher levels of undead. I need to streamline the process and no current spell that I know of can't do that without it taking years to complete. So...I need to make a new spell, one capable of creating any undead of any level without draining me completely, and with Ratchet's help it should be a breeze. This is the time where we will prepare."

Cliffjumper sighed, "Well, then we have two months before _the Celestial's Promise_ is operational. Until then, where is it going to be?"

"We can put it with Cenotaph's off site lab, that way when she starts to create undead we can load them onto the ship as soon as possible. It will be cloaked the entire time it's there and when we are ready it will uncloak itself, is everyone alright with that?" Bulletta asked, staring at her new and old comrades all around her.

Everyone nodded in agreement, she smiled, and deep down her heart swelled. It had been a long time since she found a place to truly belong and here she was. She knew her goddess would be proud of her and she hoped deep down that nothing bad would happen to any of them, they were people she trusted and she didn't want to see them hurt, even though they were already hurting because of Unicron.

Nerium cleared her throat, "Okay, now that's out of the way, we need a strategy. For Unicron, for the war, everything."

"We need to take this one step at a time for now, we need to gain trust among our factions. For now, we focus on Unicron. If he's rising, then that means all of the universe and Earth are endangered. I believe in order to stop Unicron we are going to need a weapon to use against him, some Primely thing since we know he doesn't do well against anything brother related." Moonfall said, her hand shaking once again, but she went on, "I believe I know how we can stop him, but I'll need more time to figure it out with Solus Prime. I think she may know something, is that alright?"

"Yes, do what you need too. We'll just keep preparing and keep up with the team bonding." Bulletta said, offering a kind smile, Moonfall nodded in appreciation.

Then Ratchet brought up the last point, "Now, for the final part, communications."

Starscream nodded in agreement, "I believe we shouldn't use COMM's, Soundwave can hack literally anything. So does anyone else have a better idea because I do not want to be listened to by him." He shuddered slightly.

Nerium rolled her eyes, "Soundwave isn't that creepy, but he's right and I have nothing."

"Hm, we discussed magical means before…" Cliffjumper mused, thinking harder than he really had before.

"Unreasonably, we need tech or a mixture of both…" Cenotaph sighed, "Maybe...me and Ratchet can come up with something on this front as well. Until then, we'll have a bi-weekly meeting to catch up and when we have it done, you'll get it at one of these meetings."

Rafael smiled, "I can also do it, so that you don't have to do multiple things?"

"That is actually a good idea Raf, I suppose then we'll leave it to you then." Ratchet said, with a smile, proud of the boy stepping up to help.

"Where are we meeting?" Starscream asked.

Nerium looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "How about Cenotaph's lab?"

Everyone nodded, a flash crossed their minds as the location was revealed to everyone who had yet to go. There was a silence, before Moonfall said."Then I believe that is all that is needed to be discussed." She sighed and then stood from her chair, "I just wanted to say to all of you...thank you, for choosing to help and lend your power. What you are doing is something not many would take upon themselves, and I am proud of all of you. We have a long road ahead, and it won't be easy, but I just want you to know...that I can't be more relieved to have you here."

Everyone smiled fondly at her, Cenotaph slowly rose, grabbing her staff that started glowing.

"Then I believe this first meeting of the Cabal is done, thank you all and until we meet again...till the stars are one...and good luck." She said, before slamming her staff into the ground.

The room filled with a blinding light and at last, the dream that had consumed them all had released them into a final and restful slumber.


	19. The Satellites Point of View

**_A/N: Heyo everyone! We are back in the real world! Finally, it felt like that saga would go on forever. Now that we are here, we are gonna chill, because Primus knows this kids need it! So I hope you enjoy and find this non-action-y, almost slice of life in some ways, chapter of this whole series!_**

**_On with the show!_**

_Chapter 19-The Satellites Point of View_

_Ratchet's POV_

When my systems began to online, I felt strangely...comfortable. I thought I was on the floor that I fell asleep on when Cenotaph cast her spell in that storage room but it felt wrong. My optics slowly flickered back on, and were static filled but slowly cleared. I narrowed my optics as my optics stared at a dark material I didn't recognize, I moved my servo, feeling a softness I had never felt before.

"What the…" I said, my static-filled voice straining my vocal box.

"Oh good, you're awake…" A soft and subdued voice called above me, it was hard to recognize since I had never heard it that soft before, but it was Cenotaph nonetheless. But what I became abundantly clear was the fact that I could feel her on my back, pressed against me, warm and soft, all encompassing as her height meant I was cradled against her, her helm above me staring down with vibrant and brilliant violet optics.

I went rigid, staring at her optics as I felt like I was being pulled into them.

She smiled sweetly, yet there was an obvious tiredness to it, "I was wondering how long it would take for you to wake up, I'm surprised you didn't when I moved you to my room."

My optics widened, "_Your_..._room_…" I squeaked.

She giggled, the rumbling vibrating through me and striking me right in the spark. A pleasant buzz left by it.

"Sorry, but mine was closer, and despite your small stature, compared to me, you are a heavy ambulance to drag. And besides, I was...cold." She said, a mischievous sparkling in her optics with a smirk.

My mind raced a million thoughts but one that bubbled up was, "What about Bulletta?"

She rolled her optics and huffed, "Don't worry about her, after all, she isn't the one you should be focusing on, is it?"

I shivered as her arm snaked across trapped me against her, "U-Um...C-Cena, shouldn't w-we...you know..?"

"Oh come now, Ratchet, clearly we are both exhausted from our dreamscape adventures and I honestly need a day off to simply lay in bed-er berth. I haven't taken a break since I died, I'm tired." She said, pouting with a sad and begging optics down at me.

Oh Primus help me…

"Fine...I guess they'll be fine without us for one day." I said, though on the inside I didn't really want to get up and deal with the Decepticons, what I just went through could last me my entire lifetime. And...as well...I didn't want this to stop...whatever this was.

She smirked playfully, "Good."

Cenotaph leaned her helm down, pressing her cheek into the top of my helm. Her arms now completely wrap around me and pressed firmly against my chassis. Our legs and tangled mess of limbs, and I wondered, really for the first time in awhile…

"Cena...have you ever been in a real relationship before?" I asked cautiously, wanting not to offend her and ruin this moment.

She hummed, "Truth be told, no, not really. As you already knew I was a mere tool for our King to use, so I didn't have any meaningful relationships with anyone. Why do you ask?"

I frowned at her mentioning her 'being a tool for the King' but I passed it off to answer her question. "Well, I was just wondering…"

She moved her helm, her violet optics again locking onto mine as she asked, "My thrall, have you been in a relationship before?"

I looked away, memories from my earlier years flooding in, "Yes, once upon a time when things were much, much simpler. But, it was never meant to be, she was out of my league, by a long shot."

"Oh?" She said, somehow tilting her helm curiously down at me.

I sighed and decided to explain myself, "Back in the old days, before the war when I was a young mech just entering the Medical Academy for the first time, I met this femme from one higher level than me. Her name was Cogwheel, she was a unique femme, a Arachnicon which was rare in our profession. But she proved to be intelligent and elegant in her work, with multiple limbs that aided her in precise movements making her a natural at Micro-Surgeries. We worked together for years, and I admired her beauty and her mind. But...then she and I were dragged into the war and we lost touch as we were posted on opposite sides of the war...then one day while racing through another nameless battlefield...I saw her..among the dead…"

A silence took the berthroom as I laid there, reliving that terrible day. I could still see her, lifeless and torn to bits. It was hard to recognize her at first but when I had...it simply reminded me that this war was all consuming and simply damaging to our race as whole.

"I am sorry, Ratchet."

My spark stopped as she said those words and I quickly denied her, "It's not your fault Cena, it was a long time ago."

She sighed, her voice filled with a waver, "I know, but I just wanted to say it. I didn't want to bring bad memories back. But...I suppose war has not many good memories. I wish I came sooner, then maybe we could've steered you all away from this."

"Cenotaph...are you alright?" I asked. I had noticed a subtle personality change for some time now, it was slow at first, but it slowly became more and more, especially in the dreamscape.

She was silent for a moment, "I don't know."

I frowned, and I felt a determination come over me to look at her in the optic. I twisted around and pushed myself up so that I was optic-level with her. Her wide violet optics staring at me, unsure of my actions. I grabbed her arm, and gave a gentle squeeze as I softened my expression.

"Cena, tell me what's on your mind, please?" I asked, pleading softly to her.

For a moment she stares at me, inner turmoil written across her face, then she looks me directly into my optics, a new emotion I had yet to see dancing across them…

Hope.

"All of this...is new to me. And I don't say that lightly, but what I want to get across is, that no matter what...I will always be true and real with you, as you are with me. It's the one thing I want to give back to you after what you have given me. So...I want to make a promise, that no matter what, we will be genuine together. Because I never want to...I want this to be real...and I don't want to be…" She trailed off, clearly the mind of hers was jumbled but I smiled at the thought behind it.

"You are paranoid." I simply said, she looked at me shocked before I went on, "You don't have to worry, Cena, I will always be genuine with you. I want to be here, to learn and listen, and I want to give you the experience of having faith in a person. I don't want anything but your knowledge and time, nothing more. I don't see you as an object as those from your past did. I want to know the genuine you, Cenotaph, so don't worry, I will never lie to you."

Her optics began to sparkle as she held back her tears, "That is all I can ask for."

I laughed lightly, "Cena, this is a relationship and it's a two-way street. I will give as long as you do."

She giggled herself, pulling her helm in to rest on my chestplate, "And I will always give back to you as long as you do….it's strange, I have never met someone like you before. So, I ask for you to take your time with me, as for once I am inexperienced in a field I know little about."

I smiled wider, "Then I'll be glad to teach you in this field and others as well."

"I do want to know something though," She said, I hummed questioningly and she asked, "If this is a real relationship, should we establish boundaries? I don't want to overstep anything after all, I don't like the idea of upsetting you and ruining all of this…"

I thought for a moment, up until now she had been very physical with her attention. But she never forced anything more than the touch or kiss before. I smiled at her wariness, but understood that maybe for her sake that she'd need a little structure going into this...relationship...though whether this would lead to a romantic one was up for debate, yes I liked her, a lot, but I liked her appearance, her power and her way of things. I wanted to like her core, her personality and understand her past...after all, I didn't get the chance last time for this kind of deeper connection.

"How about this, we keep everything as is. But, we don't go any further than what we've already done together. And as time goes on, we allow more and more bit by bit until...we decide what is to become of this...relationship. Does that sound okay to you?" I asked, already knowing her answer somehow.

She looked back up with a small graceful smile, "I think that will be fine with me, but, what about display of affection outside of privacy and in more...public places?" She wiggled her eyebrows playful, I knew she was only teasing but that didn't stop my mind from going to less than moral places.

I shook it off and answered, "Let's keep it on the down-low, I do not want the Terror Twins figuring this out...I would never hear the end of it!"

She giggled and nodded, "Alright then, now that that's settled…"

Suddenly I was pulled back against her, again facing away as she twisted me around quicker than I could realize what was happening. She sighed happily and soon her entire frame relaxed beside me as she fell into recharge once again. I sighed with a smile, knowing that for once in a long time, I could relax for a little while.

But also, because the femme that laid beside me was something I never expected and what the future held...well, it was something to anticipate.

* * *

_Rafael's POV_

When I woke up that Sunday morning I groaned. My head was pounding and exhaustion wracked my body. My bed, which was next to the window, was shining direct sunlight into my eyes, making it even worse. Blindly, I reached out and violently pulled the curtains together, and the headache subsided a little. I reached out to my nightstand, blindly grabbing my glasses and placing them on my face.

I reached for my phone and turned it on, squinting in pain for a moment before rubbing my eyes and staring at the time on my phone. It was...12:30 PM!? I had slept past noon!? That….was new, I had never done that before and I was surprised the rest of my siblings didn't wake me up. I could hear them throughout the house, laughing, screaming and doing whatever they were doing.

I sighed, rubbing my face before seeing that I had a message on my phone.

Opening the app, I saw it was from an unknown number.

_Are you awake yet? I am outside just down the block, come when you can.-BL_

I frowned for a moment before texting back a reply.

_Who is this?-Raf_

After a moment, a reply came back.

_Oh, sorry, it's your friend who gives Sierra rides to school that owns the jeep?-BL_

I wanted to smack my head, but that would hurt even more, I should've guessed with the initials. It was Bulletta, and she was keenly aware that someone could see my texts. I smiled, and even though my exhausted body begged me to stay in bed I replied quickly to her message.

_Right, right, sorry! I'll add you to my contacts, and don't worry I'll be out soon!-Raf _

_Ok, but make it quick!-BL_

I silently nodded to myself before getting dressed, then grabbing my house keys, phone and backpack with all the things I take to base and heading out the door. Outside, it was chaos, my siblings were all home along with extended family members, so going unnoticed was quite easy.

I slipped out the front door and jogged down to the road looking both directions before spotting Bulletta's vehicle mode. Smiling, I ran towards her down the road, her engine revved and she started moving, meeting me halfway. Her passenger door opened and I hoped right in.

As soon as I was in, she took off, heading into town.

"Hey Bulletta, I didn't know you were picking me up today?" I asked, curious as to why the gunslinger was here instead of Bumblebee.

She laughed lightly, though there was a tiredness that couldn't be missed, "I told Bee I would take care of it since he was still recovering and since Sierra's with her Mother, I thought why not."

I nodded, "Right…"

A silence took the air, and it was at that moment that I realized I had too many questions in my head from last night, most likely the cause of my headache. I didn't know what to ask her first, and I struggled to even find the words. I guess I really was exhausted.

She broke the silence, "Something on your mind, _Bard_?"

I smiled at the nod to my supposed 'class' in the dreamscape and sighed, "Too much for my tired mind to process. I guess...I don't know, this all so new and fresh, I don't really know when it will sink in."

She sighed as well, "You and me both, but, I think it's safe to say we can at least take a little time off. I mean, we don't have to start today on all the preparations for the _Celestial Promise_ and our game plans for Unicron just yet. Let's at least take this day to just...cool down for a bit, right?"

I looked out of her window, seeing Jasper slowly disappear as we made our way to base.

"I suppose you are right." I looked back to her steering wheel that glowed whenever she spoke, "I think I'll just hang out with Bee and others for today and not think about anything else related to our mission...or school for that matter."

"Right, school…" She said, almost as if she forgot I attended it, "Well, I think we'd all appreciate your help eventually but that doesn't mean you can let your grades slip. Because it would call suspicion on you and it would look bad on your record."

I laughed, "Okay, okay! I get it, I won't let my grades slip. Wow, Sierra was right, you do take education seriously, you almost sound like my Mom."

She snorted, "Ha, in your wildest dreams would I be considered a Mother! But thanks for the compliment anyways!"

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, yeah, don't let go to you're head though."

She laughed, now pulling into base and lowering her voice, "I let all of it go to my helm, Rafael."

I sighed, and left the conversation at that, but I came away with a new appreciation of Bulletta. She was much more than Sierra ever mentioned, and much more intelligently in conversation. Sure, I loved talking to Bee, I saw him as my Brother. But, Bulletta? She was more like a teacher or a fellow prodigy that I could talk to for hours on my favorite subjects.

And the fact that she could hack at my level or even beyond was way cool to me.

I got out of her alt mode and she quickly transformed behind me with a cocky yet tired grin. Her tail wrapped around me and deposited me in the Human area where Jack and Miko were already waiting, as the tail unraveled away from me it patted my head gentle before moving closer to its owner who had a more caring expression on her face before she went on with her day, deeper into the base.

_...Yeah, she's totally a Mother-Figure, even though she doesn't realize it yet…_

"Hey man!" Miko shouted, gaining my attention as she ran over, "What was all that about?"

I looked back at where Bulletta had gone, seemingly into the Med-Bay before saying, "It's nothing important, so, what's up for today?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders, "We've literally overplayed that game on the TV a billion times, so I don't know what to do." Jack's eyes narrowed for a moment, "Hey, are you okay? You seem exhausted."

I blinked for a second before brushing him off, "Oh, just didn't sleep well, that's all."

Miko cocked her head in worry, "Does that happen often?"

I smiled reassuringly, "Yeah, when you live with a large family that tends to stay up late or cry in the middle of the night, because I have younger siblings, you tend to have some sleepless or little sleep nights. Last night was just another one, doesn't happen too often, so don't worry!"

Hm, I just realized I lied to them, for the first time...I guess I would have to get used to it.

There was a moment where they considered my words before Miko brightened right up.

"I guess that can happen, I mean I don't have a big family like you do so what do I know! Am I right, Jacky?" She said, playfully elbowing Jack who scowled at her.

"Don't call me that, I have a cousin named Jacky." But then he lightened up, looking to me, "But I suppose you do have a point, I am an only child so what do we know."

I smiled, "Right, so, do you guys know how the bots are doing?"

They frowned a bit, looking at each other, Jack spoke, "We haven't checked on them yet, Bulletta groundbridged us here, but since you weren't answering she went directly to you. So, we were kinda waiting on you."

"Well, let's go see them, I want to know if Bee's feeling better!" I said, taking my backpack with me as we headed down the stairs and towards the Med-Bay.

It took us a good jog before we made it into the Med-Bay, which had us all huffing and puffing. Seriously, we needed to do more exercise outside of school if we wanted to keep up or away from both Bots and Cons...though I think I'll have less issue with that latter one.

Everyone looked much better today, it seemed Arcee and Optimus had recovered enough to where they were helping out Bulletta in the Med-Bay to make necessary repairs and replacements for armor and metal. Currently, everyone was awake, chatting with each other.

The Twins seemed to be whispering to each other, a schemer's glint in Sideswipe while Sunstreaker just looked annoyed, as well as side-eyeing Bulletta who happened to be working on Bumblebee. Arcee was working on Cliffjumper and Optimus was helping out Bulkhead, seeing as they needed a stronger bot to most likely help get everything on the Wrecker.

But, there was an absence of Ratchet and Cenotaph, which was...odd.

It was Optimus who spotted us first.

"Children," He said, his voice rumbling through us, "I believe it is best if you stay away for a little while, some of the repairs may be dangerous to your health."

Miko of course whined, "But I wanna tell Bulkhead of this awesome dream I had last night!"

Bulkhead chimed in, "Maybe later, Miko, at least when I am more able to listen, alright?"

She sighed, her head down, "Fine, I guess."

Jack nodded, "Yeah, wouldn't want to distract you." He said, looking to his guardian, she only nodded in approval before going back to work.

Bumblebee also chimed in, "_Don't worry, Raf, we'll hang out later, alright?"_

I smiled reassuringly, "Of course, Bee! I just hope you feel better soon."

Then out of the blue, Sideswipe spoke up, "Hey, about we give them one small job for us!"

Cliffjumper looked at him skeptically, "With what?"

The red-sports car waved him off, "Well, Cenotaph and Ratchet are missing, and Ratchet did need some repairs, right? Maybe we should send them to find them?"

Optimus hummed thoughtfully for a moment before looking at us, "Would mind aiding in this task?"

Miko smiled, "Of course, big guy! Any ideas of where they are?"

In the corner of my eye, I saw Bulletta freeze up, before looking at me with a oh-shit expression. It seems she may have forgotten about those two, which isn't her fault, she was exhausted like I was.

"Nope." Sunstreaker replied coolly.

Jack sighed, "Then let's get going, we have a lot of ground to cover."

Miko and Jack began to leave the room, I followed a little behind, noticing that Cliffjumper and Bulletta were now side-eyeing each other. I believe they were speaking through internal comms, but it was unclear. But if those two both forgot about Cenotaph and Ratchet then...then where they? And why hadn't they come to the main hall?

Something about the base you didn't understand about was how large it was, most likely to the Bots it was small, but to us humans, it was huge. We had been walking for about half an hour now, with no sign of the pair yet. Miko was at her ropes end and Jack just seemed to be losing interest and hope.

I was even more tired now than I was before, which was quite.

Miko sighed for the umpteenth time, "We'll never find them at this rate! Man, we need like...a golf cart or scooters to get around here."

Jack looked at Miko impressed, "Wow, that's your first good idea ever, Miko."

She stared back at him with a frown, "Shut up."

"Guys, we just have this last section, they have to be here!" I said, pointing down the last hall that led into the Personal Quarter section of the base that was tied to the storage area.

"Well then, let's get going, I suppose." Jack said, a new determination coming around.

We began our trek down, noting all the doors had human and bot sized doors to each. All of them had labels on them, as we went down we finally came across Ratchet's room. We walked up to the human door, Jack twisted the nob and the door opened, though squeaky and jerkily, as the door hinges seemed rusted.

"Guess they didn't expect humans to go poking around here anymore." Miko commented out loud.

The room was dark, as in pitch black, Jack took his phone out and put the flashlight on.

"So? Is he there?" Miko asked, trying to see over his shoulders into the darkness.

Jack stepped back out, shaking his head, "It doesn't seem like he's in there."

I asked, "So, could he be somewhere else?"

Jack thought for a moment, "If Cenotaph is in her room, then maybe she knows where he went?"

"But, we all saw him yesterday. He was in just as rough shape as the others, how could he move himself somewhere else, and especially this far?" Miko questioned, and silently I questioned her thought too.

How could he get here in the first place, and if he wasn't here, then where was he?

"Cenotaph may be able to tell us, come on." Jack said, leading the way down the hall.

It took some time, but we came close to where the hall split and went into the storage area in the deepest part of this floor of the base and there, was Cenotaph's room. Right away we could tell someone was in there, faint light was coming from the room underneath the Bot door and the human door.

But, unlike the others, the bot door was slightly cracked open. It was like a garage door, so the bottom had a gap that we could squeeze through. Easier for me than my bigger friends with me.

"So, she's totally in there...should we go in?" Miko asked, a slight waver in her voice.

I looked up at her with a frown, "Miko, are you afraid of Cenotaph?"

She looked incredulously at me, before huffing, "Pft, what!? That's...that's…"

Jack gave her a sympathetic look, "Miko, you know she can't hurt you right? The bots would be in arms about it."

She sighed and rubbed her hands together, "I know, I know. Bulkhead already told me, but...he also told me to stay away."

"Then, why did he allow you to come here?" I asked.

"Maybe since we should've found Ratchet that he thought it was fine? I don't know!" She said, rubbing her head like she had a headache.

I smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, Cenotaph isn't that bad, after all, I hung out with her for a while!"

They froze for a split second before staring down at me with almost horrified and astonished expressions.

"You did what?" Jack asked oddly calmly.

I nodded, "I came in on her while she was doing a spell and she let me join in, it was so awesome. I think she's just misunderstood, you kind of annoyed her when you first approached her. Maybe think about what you are going to say before saying it next time?"

Miko looked at me numbly, "Oh...okay...I guess that next time is now?" She asked, almost squeaking.

Jack also had a numb look to him, "I...guess so. Since she likes you the most, you go first Raf."

I nodded, "Sure, makes sense."

I then turned to the door and slowly approached the crack that was wide enough to fit us all, soft light coming from the room. I grabbed the door above me and pulled myself through, staring into a large version of a bedroom. Jack and Miko follow close behind, as we stared up into this room filled with...soft glowing orbs of light, dancing across the room.

There was a barren desk on one wall, with her spellbook and staff leaned against it. And a large locker of sorts on the other wall. There were barren shelves, yet to be filled with things and in the back was a large table or slab of metal with material of black and grey color coming off.

We could hear light snoring coming from the slab and we noticed a latter sort of structure in the design of the desk and silently pointed it out to each other. We clearly needed a better advantage to see if it indeed was Cenotaph up there, though the light snoring didn't sound quite right to me.

Silently, as we could, we made our way towards the desk and started climbing up and up. It was a long climb and I dare not look down. Even though I hung out with Bee and sat on his shoulder I knew was safe from a tumble since he would catch me. But here, this time, no such protection was there for me, so I kept looking up instead.

We finally made it to the top, and began to make our way to the side closest to what appeared to be a bed. The large spellbook blocked our view at first, but as we made our way around and looked to the bed, we were left speechless.

There, in the 'bed' of sorts, was Cenotaph, her white corset, clasp and cloak gone, only her black dress still on. One hand propped her helm up, her cord like hair slightly in her face as she was staring down at the bot lying next to her, the source of the snoring...Ratchet.

Her other hand was on his chest, glow dark red and it slowly made its way across his frame, pulsing like a heartbeat. I could see the scars and the damage from the Scraplet attack slowly fade away, as whatever spell she was doing, healed him.

Then, her optics snapped up to us, staring calming at us. She pressed a digit to her mouth, silently shushing us before flicking her hand away from Ratchet and towards us, the color turning purple before three beams shot out and struck us lightly in the forehead. Not enough to hurt but push back slightly.

Even though struck with magic, Miko and Jack remained silent, either out of fear for her silent warning or the fact they didn't want an angry Ratchet on their hands.

Then, Cenotaph's voice reached our inner minds.

'What are you doing here, young ones?' She asked, a calm and sweet tone that had a sinister tone underneath.

I heard Miko's voice, 'W-Well...you see, the bots were wondering where you two were so they...uh, sent us to look for you?'

Cenotaph was silent for a moment before humming in our minds, 'I knew they'd eventually come looking I suppose, but don't worry, I have almost healed him of his wounds. So you can go back and tell them to stop worrying.'

I smiled and said, 'Alright, come on guys.' I turned and started to walk towards the latter when I was stopped by Jack voicing a question, in our heads of course.

'Wait, why is Ratchet here?' He asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

I turned back, looking to see Cenotaph staring at Jack as her face fell from pleased, to annoyed.

'Jackson Darby, didn't your Mother teach you not to poke in on private matters. It doesn't matter how or why, it just is, now leave...you both are starting to annoy me.' She said, coldly staring at the older teens.

Jack looked incredulously at her, 'Both?'

She rolled her optics, 'Jack and Miko, I find you incredibly annoying. Now I suggest you follow the lead of the smartest member of your group and leave.'

There was utter silence before something in my mind felt like it snapped and I felt alone within my own mind, which was weird as heck. I took this as her cutting off whatever spell she cast, effectively ending the conversation. I didn't stay to look at their reactions, already starting my way down and out of the room.

As Miko and Jack emerged, the door suddenly, silently, shut on it's own and a locking mechanism was heard clicking into place. Miko sighed out a huge puff of air, she looked more terrified than I had ever seen her, and she was the reckless one of us. Jack on the other hand was annoyed and said nothing as he began to make his way back, trailed by a frightened Miko.

I stayed behind for a moment, staring at the door.

_...heh, I think I'm going to like working with her…_

I smiled staring at the door and started making my way to catch up, my exhaustion almost forgotten by a surge of adrenaline and pure pride running in my veins.

* * *

_Cliffjumper's POV_

For the millionth time that morning I yawned, only to stifle most of it. I sat in Med-Bay, with everyone else, just recovering as Bulletta, Optimus and Arcee had finished repairs and now we just waited for our internals to do the rest. So, with those three gone, it was just me, the Terror Twins, Bulkhead and Bumblebee.

Sideswipe seemed utterly bored, Bumblebee seemed to be in his own thoughts, Bulkhead was lightly recharging, and Sunstreaker seemed to be...I couldn't tell honestly. The mech had a stone cold poker face, I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

My curiosity beating me out, I spoke, "Hey, Sunstreaker, whatcha thinking about?"

Everyone turned their attention to me and Sunstreaker, who seemed to snap out of a trance and look at me with an annoyed and bored expression.

"Nothing that'd you'd care to know about, why? Are you that _bored_ or is Bulletta _rubbing off_ on _you_?" He sneered with dark and narrowed optics, I was honestly surprised at how much hostility could be in blue optics.

I frowned, "No...Sunstreaker, are you alright, you seem…" I trailed off, not quite knowing what to call his...attitude.

He huffed, more irritated, "I'm fine, Cliffjumper."

I saw in the corner of my optic I saw Sideswipe cringe slightly, guessing that something went unsaid in between their bond. I decided to stay quiet, but narrowing my optics at Sunstreaker.

Bumblebee, though, continued my questioning by asking a new question, "_What's your problem?"_

Sunstreaker looked at the scout, scowling, "And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

I growled, pointing at the warrior, "_Do you have a problem with Bulletta?" _

Sunstreaker paused, then huffed, "Oh please, is that obvious?" He sneered sarcastically.

"_Why do you hate her? She's helping us heal from our wounds, she's an Autobot, our comrade and you treat her as if she is a Decepticon! So, tell me, what do you have against her?"_ Bumblebee said, huffing angrily at the yellow sports car.

There was a silence for a moment, me, Bulkhead and Sideswipe staring silently at the two arguing across each other. Deep down, I wanted to know too. There's this hostility that's been brewing between the two ever since the 'Darkletta' incident and I wanted to know why, more curiosity than what Bee has going...Primus it was so obvious the poor mech had a huge crush on the femme.

Then, Sideswipe froze, then confusion and worry crossed his features, now focusing completely on his brother who became cold and...a somewhat sinister glow came around him, his optics flashing.

"Bumblebee, I am going to be completely honest with you. Bulletta isn't a true Autobot, she isn't a Cybertronian and she is definitely not worth defending. She is a _parasite,_ rotting the _true Autobots_ into nothing more than...well, you've seen what you are slowly becoming. She isn't an _angel,_ she isn't our _friend_, she's using you and she thinks she is better than us. She can get away with _anything_ because she has you wrapped around her tail! _Do you know how messed up that is?!_" He growled, hunched over staring at everyone now.

Everyone was silent, staring at the basically frothing mech, huffing and puffing angrily at the young scout who seemed, horrified and confused.

Then Bulkhead spoke, "Primus, Sunstreaker! Where did that come from?!"

He snapped his helm to the Wrecker who cringed, "Oh frag off, two-ton!"

"Hey!" I said, berating the little fragger, "I think we've had enough out of you!"

He barked out laughter, "Oh please, you just don't want to hear the truth, _right_?"

I growled but was beat to it by Bumblebee who quietly said, "_You are wrong."_

Sunstreaker froze, then stared down the scout again, "...What..?"

Bumblebee looked him in the optic, his entire frame locked up, "She is an Autobot, she was given that badge in confidence. And I am proud to stand by her side. Yes, she's not perfect, but who is!? You think you know her so well but you only can see the surface. I and others have been given a glimpse into the expansive, beautiful, ocean that she is. And trust me when I say, that you will not know her true extent until you rethink your entire perspective on her….besides, what Autobot views their fellow comrades with as much hostility as a Decepticon would? To me, that doesn't sound like an Autobot whatsoever."

There was a dead silence in the room, no one spoke as we all stared at Sunstreaker, waiting for his reaction. After staring at Bumblebee with a narrowed and annoyed expression he simply turned on his berth and laid down, his back to us. The tension in the room seemed to lift, if only slightly, but I had a feeling this was far from over.

I looked back to Bumblebee who crossed his arms and stared at a computer in the Med-Bay, clearly done with everything. Bulkhead seemed uncomfortable and Sideswipe seemed at a loss of what to do.

We were back in silence, now with more brewing resentment than before.

And it was all my fault.

Arcee's right, I do like causing trouble, don't I?


	20. Gifted, Cursed and Blessed

_**A/N: Heyo everyone! This...this took way to long! My word, I think I rewrote this chapter like ten times! Ah well, its here so lets look on the positive side of things here, RIGHT?! Anyways, I do hope you enjoy this new chapter, it was literally hell to write and yeah...to think I wanted to add this on to the previous chapter before deciding to split it...it was a good choice in the end.**_

**_But enough with the ramblings, this chapter is gonna be awesome ;D_**

**_Anyways, please, enjoy the show!_**

_Chapter 20-Gifted, Cursed and Blessed_

_Bulletta's POV_

As I pulled up to Sierra's home, I came to a thought. I haven't talked to Sierra since Saturday, the day of the attack. And she was with her Mother for Sunday, now it's Monday. Even though it was one day of not seeing her, I missed her. She was a breath of fresh air, and someone I had interesting conversations with. Also, she was a great academic when she put her mind to it, it kinda made me feel proud that my charge was doing well in school as well as socially with the other kids.

I heard the door opening and I saw her running towards me, a little disheveled, wearing a sweater, jeans and running shoes with her backpack, her hair usually in a ponytail not tied and messy, she had a brush and tie in hand and a frown on her face as I opened to door and let her in.

"Woah, you okay there Sierra?" I asked as she buckled herself in and started brushing her hair as I started making my way to school.

She sighed heavily, "No, my Mom is such a nuisance, she had me stay with her all Sunday trying to get me together with Vince and 'suggesting' that I ditch the others for my old friends!"

I sounded my displeasure right there and then, "Goddess, if I could ring her neck, I would."

Sierra burst into a bubbly laughter, snorting to herself, "Ha, I'd pay to _see_ that!"

I chuckled, "Thanks, but what's with the look?"

"Oh this? I just overslept because she was yapping late into the night, so I am also super tired." She finished her ponytail, still slightly messy but she didn't seem to care too much and placed her brush in her bag. "So, what'd I miss on Sunday?"

"Not too much," I sighed, lying to her never felt right, "So don't worry about it, everyone's getting better, they are on their peds today."

We arrived at the school, it seemed we were last to arrive as Bulkhead, Arcee and Bee were already there waiting.

"And this is where the fun begins," I opened the door and Sierra groaned, "Remember, even though you are tired, do your best alright? Now, I'll see you at the end of the school day, alright?"

She shook her head, "I'll never get how you love this stuff so much, no matter, see ya Letta!" She said as she headed towards the school and the first bell rang.

As soon as she was in, the others began to take off back to base.

* * *

_Sierra's POV_

I groaned and yawned for the millionth time today, it was only the second period and I was so done with this Monday. I thought I would hang with the bots all weekend, not listen to my horrid Mother all Sunday! God, if only she would drop dead, or something. My head was placed on my arms that were crossed on my desk, my bleary eyes staring off to the side facing the rest of students in the room.

It was then, ignoring the math lesson, that I noticed something odd.

Rafael, the best student of the school and the most studious, wasn't paying attention.

More specifically, he was writing down something in a new notebook that didn't seem school related. He was only a row from me, and shorter, so when I raised my head to look I could see strange writing on the page, like unreadable writing. I didn't know if it was code, another language or what, but it seemed...strange.

There were also drawings beside the letters, it was hard to make out, but they looked like a ring, a deck of cards, and a...jacket? On the seat was the same jacket, leather and brown with silver studs on the shoulders and sleeves and around the hem of the jacket with beautiful designs imprinted onto the leather. The leather itself looked real and expensive.

I know fashion, I live for fashion and by GOD is that jacket incredible...but where did he get it?

Looking back at the clock I saw that it was another half an hour till this period ended and I had to trudge through before lunch, then I could corner the kid and get the info as to where he got that _jacket!_

And also ask about the notebook.

"MISS CHAMBERS!" A shout knocked me from my thoughts, my head spun to the teacher who was staring at me with a death glare, apparently he was trying to get my attention for...something.

I weakly said, "Y-Yes?"

He frowned deeply before growling out, "What is the answer for the question on the board?"

"Uhhh…" I looked at the question and was completely lost, we were starting a new lesson today so I had no idea what it even was. "...t-ten..?"

He was silent for a moment, scrutinizing me with beady eyes before sighing, "Miss Chambers, if you want to pass the class I suggest you keep your focus on the lessons, lest you fail my class."

I bowed my head in shame, I could hear Bulletta berating me in the back of my head, "R-Right, sorry…"

He huffed before going on, the other students snickering, especially Vince and my old friends. I groaned and tried to focus for the rest of the class. But it was hard, when all you could think about was the possibility of finding a new place to buy clothes that you actually want.

* * *

_Outside the Secret Lab..._

_Cenotaph's POV_

Through slight shimmers and angles I got a good look at _the Celestial Promise_, already here and prepped for what was to come. It was cloaked, as agreed upon, but how it got here only Primus knows...probability with some god-voodoo magic.

"Well...that's one puzzle piece." I said to myself before heading back inside.

You see, creating a new spell, from scratch, was not easy. Some take years to complete, some take so long that many people over the span of hundreds of years are needed for completion. So, I had a large task ahead, both me and Ratchet. But for now, Ratchet was back at base and wouldn't join me till later, guaranteed no Decepticon action happens, that is, though I doubt it.

So I was alone, with my thoughts, and my lab...what a necromancer to do?

Well, I am raising cybertronian undead, maybe I need to learn more about my subjects, both living and dead. I got the dead part, with Skyquake in a resting state in another part of the lab, now I just need a living subject.

"Quintus, are there any Decepticon mines in proximity to the lab?" I asked out loud, I knew he appeared in the mirror behind me.

I turned as he nodded and said, "Southwest, approximately 50 miles away."

I growled, "50 miles...that's a ways away...ah, nothing magic can't fix."

I walked away from the mirror as Quintus disappeared from it. Returning to the jungle outside I tapped my staff on the ground, alighting it with a blue tint before tapping myself with it. Instantly I was lifted off the ground as the spell Fly took over.

Using my mind to control my movements, I shot up into the air before speeding off at unnatural speeds southwest heading for the mine. It wouldn't be easy to get a live one, but if I could grab one of those Vehicons, then I could call it a victory as they seem very killable...from what I've heard.

It took some time, even with flight, but eventually I was upon the mine, before being spotted I darted into the trees, leaping from to another using the littlest power of the spell. I soon came to the edge of a clearing and there before me was the mine. The hole in the ground seemed to be a sinkhole with the Cons having made an elevator to get up and down into the mine.

Around it were at least a dozen Eradicons and Vechicons. Coming in and out, as well patrolling. As I stared at them I realized something...I am going to need multiple. On Cybertron, during the heydays of the war, mostly true cybertronians fought, not these copies. Which meant...I need one these, or well two since Eradicons and Vechicons are different, as well as a true blooded cybertronian, that was also living...well...this just got harder.

For now, I will just take one, if possible two of each.

But how? Without having the whole mine go after a squishy unarmored wizard such as I?

Then, it hit me.

I slid down the tree I was perched and alighted my staff again, drawing a glyph in the air with it that shone purple. Then I placed it beneath me and shunted it upwards. Magic passed over me as the spell took effect, to me I still looked the same, but to the others, I now looked like Soundwave, it was easier to do the somewhat same height for oneself with the Disguise Self spell to make it more believable.

But it didn't allow me to disguise my voice, so Soundwave was the only option.

Also, how do I know what he looks like? The Dream, and that whole learning of what the others had been through, I saw Nerium and Moonfall respectively met the mech, so here we are.

With confidence, because if you got none then it's easy to see you are a liar, I stepped into the clearing. I walked straight towards a Vechicon that looked to be the one in charge. The others stopped, surprised and shocked to see their 'superior' here, without anyone noticing.

The Vechicon itself-or was it a he? It was hard to tell, their frames were all so similar. But, from the squeak and the soft yet tough voice that came next assured me that it was a she.

"C-Commander S-Soundwave...what d-do we owe the pleasure, sir?" She stuttered out, slightly shaking in her armor.

I motioned for her to follow me, she tilted her helm slightly, "I-Is there a p-problem, sir?"

I simply nodded yes and more forcefully motioned for her to follow.

"B-But sir, aren't you supposed to be with Lord Megatron giving the daily reports?" She asked, slightly more assertively.

I was getting annoyed, and grabbed her arm, forcing her to follow me.

She gasped, "S-Sir! I-I-I didn't m-mean to question..." She trailed off though, to my relief.

I ignored her stuttering...it was getting on my nerves. But before I could get out of the clearing, another Con, an Eradicon, mech, stopped me.

"Sir, I don't question your wisdom, but our leader needs to present for the operation, what if something went wrong?" I frowned but before I could I noticed the Vechicon staring at my hand.

That's when I realized my error.

Quickly I let go of her, but it was too late. She noticed that my supposed 'spindly digits' were actually thicker and sharp than what was seen. That's when the illusion flickered in my mind, and now I registered that she could see straight through it.

She screamed, "It's a ruse!"

Suddenly her arms transformed into blasters along with everyone else's.

Acting quickly I took my staff, cracking it across the ground and creating a purple door way, a Dimension Door spell. I snatched at the femme Vechicon and forced her and myself to fall into said portal. It was quick, a flash of purple and then we were on the other side, about 500 feet from the mine, the furthest the spell could go.

She tumbled into the ground before getting back up and firing, I dodged easily as she was shaky from the teleportation and I whipped my staff across the air, casting Thunderwave and pushing her back 10 feet with a thunderous wave of force and knocking her onto her back.

But to my surprise she quickly got back up and switched up to blades, charging at me like a crazed bull.

This time I felt the blades pierce my protoform in my shoulder and across my chest and the warm Energon poured out like rivers. I used my greater height and slight strength to grab her helm before lifting and slamming her onto the ground. Then I pointed my staff into her helm, a Fire Bolt spell, a cantrip that shoots a fire bullet, reading it in her face.

I growled, "If you want to keep that spark beating, I suggest you stop struggling…"

She spat back, "I'll happily die for the Decepticon cause, _Autobitch!_"

I smirked at that one, which made her still in her fury, "_Well then...I don't mind but…I want you alive for what I am about to inflict upon you...but first…"_

I raised the staff and cracked across her helm, knocking her out completely.

Huffing, I sat back before saying to myself, "Sometimes...brute force will just do."

* * *

_Back at the School…_

_Raf's POV_

I rubbed my head as a headache came in waves, I was obsessing with what I had discovered late last night. I had come home from the base, and found that in my exhaustion I had overlooked somethings left in my room. It seemed Primus and the Primes had granted us Satellites with gifts to aid us in the waking world. He had granted me a Deck of Illusions which according to him, if I draw a card I could create a random illusion which could be interesting.

Then there was the jacket, which was to mimic my armor in the Dreamworld, it was a jacket imbued with Bludgeoning and Force Resistance which could come in handy if a Con or some other tried to squash me or hit me. And finally, a ring that held the Falling Stars logo on it. According to Primus, when activated by the command word 'Astrum' I would transform into what I looked like in the Dream.

Also, when just worn, it granted me things like languages from their worlds that I could pick from and instantly learn. Of course I could only choose one, so I chose the most interesting, Celestial.

And amazingly enough that wasn't all, I had limited access to spells, only Cantrips up to Level 2 though, which was quite cool. I also became proficient at an instrument of my choosing, to which I choose the electric violin. Why? It looks cool, it sounds cool and it's weird, which makes it awesome. But, with all this new info in my head, it felt overwhelming. So I focused on basically purging the 'data' as it were, onto paper in a new notebook.

It eased my headache little by little, but it had side effects, I was completely ignoring those around me. And I was at school...so yeah, today was a really off day. With this in mind I also came to the conclusion that all of this was way more important than school so I gave into apathy and completely dived into my writing subject as I moved on from the artifacts to the new abilities I got from the ring during Lunch.

"Hey, Raf." Sierra's voice suddenly was right beside me.

I jumped, snapping my head to see that she looked...shabby if there was any word for it.

I gave her a nervous smile and waved, "H-Hey, you scared me."

She smiled as she sat down next to me, we were outside, away from the nosy cafeteria. Miko was in detention and Jack was finishing a test he had for another class. So that meant we wouldn't be interrupted, which meant I had to deal with her. Not saying she is a bad or boring person to be with...but I had way more interesting things to do than to speak to her.

"So," She said, staring at me with curiosity, "Where'd you get the jacket?"

I froze, suddenly remembering her obsession with fashion...great.

"Oh...it's a gift, I-I don't know where it came from." I said nervously, trying to derail the topic at hand.

But she wasn't having it, "Oh, then can I see the tag?"

I began even more nervous and slightly shuffled away, "...uh, no…"

She then frowned, confused, "But...why? It's just a jacket, a really nice looking one at that."

I stood up, closing my notebook and grabbed my backpack, "S-Sorry, I-I have to go."

I needed to get out of this situation, because for the first time ever, I felt something...off. There was this cloud or all consuming fear that was wracking my whole body the longer I spoke with Sierra. My heart was racing, palms sweaty, I was shaking and my mind was stuttering and stammering and my thought process was racing yet going to slow.

This is the first time I've ever felt like this...and I hated it.

So, running away sounded really good right now.

But she stood, grabbing my shoulder with a concerned expression, "Raf, are you okay? You look pale."

I can't think, my throat was closing up and I was starting to break into a sweat.

Without saying a word to Sierra I wrenched free from her and quickly walked away, and down the road. I didn't even consider going back into the school building. I just needed to be...away. I didn't understand where this came from, what it was, or what just happened. But, with this new, and I think I knew what brought it on.

My secret, the big secret, the Falling Stars.

But I didn't know why, but I wanted to scream it to everyone, especially Bee, or my new friends. But I couldn't, that would ruin the mission, so it would remain in the shadows. Which is easy, not that hard. Though now, I was having trouble. Why now? I saw Miko and Raf and the Bots yesterday, and today I was around them, and other people and Bee and I felt fine.

Now though, I was...scared? Nervous? Shaken? All of the above.

I stopped walking when I realized I was on the other side of the town, I looked at my phone to see that lunch had ended almost an hour ago. I cringed, realizing I was skipping classes. Then a horror took over, the school would call my parents, and then I would most likely be grounded, away from the Bots and the Stars.

Starting to run, I ran to my house. I had to be careful, I had a lot of siblings at home and most likely my parents as well. I would need to sneak in, and if and when they called, delete it. I finally came to the block that my home was on but then stopped as I remembered something.

Spells...I had access to limited spells.

I could use this.

I felt the ring grow hot, not uncomfortably, but just warm as a list of spells cycled through my brain which was...weird. And distracted me from my weird mental state right now, which was good. I 'scrolled' through my options and found one most suitable.

Invisibility. It was a Level 2 spell and lasted for an hour with concentration. This spell could come in very handy in the future when avoiding 'certain' people. Everything I had on me would also be invisible, so that was good. I chose it and felt the need to move my hand with the ring. I let it happen, my hand clenched as suddenly, white light appeared before the ring, drawn into a magical circle before raising it above my head, making it bigger and then dropping it around me and disappearing as it hit the ground.

I...could still see myself, but I knew, in my head I was invisible.

It was all very strange and very cool at the same time.

I began to make my way to my home, when I did I saw some of my younger siblings out in the front yard playing and doing whatever. The door was open, as it was like that whenever they played in the front yard, so that was a clear bonus. To mask my footfalls, I took off my shoes and put them into my backpack before quietly making my way up the driveway and to the door.

Suddenly, one of my younger siblings was in the doorway, she came rushing out at me.

With speed, I shifted and moved out of the way so she didn't hit an invisible me and give me away. I nearly lost my balance as she raced by me, I heard my Mom calling out from inside for her to slow down, but she didn't listen, clearly. I breathed a sigh of relief and walked in. More of my older siblings that were just out of school or didn't have classes anymore were inside distracted by their devices.

Mom was clearly in the kitchen, with what all the wracked and the sounds of cooking she was making and my Dad was out back, seemingly working on fixing something out there. I walked swiftly and quietly as possible towards the hall where the land line was, as my parents didn't have cell phones. I knew that the school would most likely call after the day ended, but since it had only been more than an hour that wouldn't happen for a while.

So, there was only one thing sensible to do.

I took my laptop out, still invisible, and hooked up to the landline. Hacking as quickly as I could I made it so that any call the house would receive would alert me on my computer or phone. That way, before the phone rang, I could accept or reroute it to me. There by bypassing it and making it so that I could 'pick up the phone' or 'leave it ring' so that message is left on it, then delete it.

It was simple, really, just reroute that, connect this, cut that and bam. Done.

But...then I remembered something else...BUMBLEBEE! He's gonna pick me up from school! And Sierra also saw me walking away from school and most likely waited till lunch was over for me to come back! AW man, I really dug myself into a hole...or have I?

"AHH!" A shout alerted me to my right to see my older brother trip on some of the wires coming off my invisible laptop that was still connected to the landline. He landed hard, and slowly started to get back up confused.

Quickly, I gathered up everything, pulling my now useless physical connection, out of the land line and clutching everything I scooted back as more family members rushed the hall to check on my disoriented brother. In my head I apologized but I had no time. I went to the end of the hall to my room and ran in.

Placing my stuff back into my backpack, I looked for an escape route. The window was the only option, it faced the side of the house so no one was there that I could see. Slowly but quickly as the spell would wear out any moment I opened the window and slipped out. Landing with a small grunt I made my way to the front, seeing my family still out front I made a break for it, with no shoes on, onto the road and down and out of sight of my house.

As soon as I was a block or two away, the spell ended and I sighed in somewhat relief.

Now that I was out of 'danger' I focused on the other problem.

Putting my shoes back on I went to the only place I felt safe, under the freeway. I made it all the way there, next to the pipe where I had first met Bee and pulled out my phone. First, I realized that Miko, Sierra and Jack had been group texting wondering where I was. So, I replied back with a simple white lie.

_Sorry I missed the texts, I wasn't feeling well so I went home early-Raf_

It was simple enough, not too complicated. They replied instantly.

_Aw man! That's 2 bad...does this mean you not coming?!-Miko_

_Don't listen to Miko, if you don't feel well, then rest up. We'll be fine for one day.-Jack_

_You did look pale when I talked to you, hope you feel better soon! :D-Sierra_

I cringed reading their texts, another twist in my head and heart rattled through me and I shivered.

_Thanks, you guys, I think I'll stay home today.-Raf_

Keep it simple. Very simple.

Then, the text I waited for.

_Do you want us to tell Bee?-Miko_

_Yeah, if you could, my phone's about to die!-Raf_

Another white lie.

_We'll let him know, get well soon, okay?-Sierra_

_Yeah man! We'll tell you all what happened tomorrow if you are up 2 school!-Miko_

_Get well soon, Raf.-Jack_

I stared at my phone as the minutes ticked by. My hand was shaking, I was sweating and my guts did feel twisted and wrong.

What is wrong with me? Why does this feel...like this? This fear, nervousness, anger at myself. Why do I feel like the world is crumbling? Why do I feel like crying? Am I wrong? Am I somehow losing my mind? Even though I am with others in this secret, I feel alone yet thrilled. To be a part of something bigger than me is thrilling to me. But, there is this dark voice in the back of my head, telling me how awful I am for lying, deceiving and tricking those around me.

My phone buzzed, I don't know how long I stared into space, the landline was receiving a call. It was the school, so I diverted it to my phone without making my house line or the caller at the school aware that it did. I let it ring till the messenger went on, I had copied the one Mom made on the landline to really sell it and soon I noticed that I had a message on my phone popped up.

I listened, basically just telling my Mom that I didn't show for class and that it would go on my record.

I can easily hack that and change it later.

I walked home, pretending I just came from school. My family greeted me, I told them I didn't feel well and was going to my room. I closed the door shut, shunted my stuff off and laid on the bed, staring at the ring around my finger.

_...just what I have gotten into...and can I handle it?..._

* * *

_Back at Cenotaph's Lab…_

_Ratchet's POV_

When I finally could, I got away from base. There was palpable tension in that base and I needed some time to just breath. As well, I wanted to help Cenotaph with the spell but more importantly, there was something I wanted to discuss with her. I had found something in my berth room_, something's,_ I should say and I wanted her opinion on them.

As I walked into the lab I came to the main hub and part of the lab where most things were set up only to see the...strangest sight so far that I've seen involving Cenotaph.

There, on the dias in the middle, was a Vechicon strapped to it and completely knocked with Cenotaph staring at her with slight malice as she held scraps of cloth to her shoulder and chest.

What startled me the most, was the sight of Energon staining those scraps of cloth.

"Cenotaph?!" I shouted, her helm shot up, locking onto me, "What happened to you?!"

I ran over staring at the wounds she was trying, failing, to cover up.

She huffed, "Oh it's nothing, thrall, it's just a flesh wound."

I gave her an incredulously glare, "I'll be the judge of that."

Forcing her servos away I stripped the cloth away to see two deep wounds in her shoulder and across her chest, ripping parts of her dress and scoring her clasp. I frowned and poked at them, earning a hiss of pain from the femme in front of me. I looked back up at her, her helm facing away from me and her face slightly flush in purple and pink.

"I need you to stay still while I put you back together." I said, looking at her with a hard yet soft glare.

She glanced back, and nodded silently, "Do you...want my clasp and cloak off?"

"Preferably, yes. I need to see the full extent of the damage." I said in annoyance and worry.

She sighed, "Fine."

Cenotaph unbuckled the clasp and both it and the cloak were tossed away landing with a loud clunk onto the floor with the purple cloak fluttering down after it. I side glanced at the Vechicon but sighed in relief when it didn't awaken from the loud noise. I looked back to Cenotaph and put my full focus on mending those wounds.

The slash across her chest was not deep but the stab wound in her shoulder was, my HUD lit up with an option. You see, one of the reasons I came here was because of what I had received from Primus and the Primes, and it seemed now was the perfect time to show off my new powers.

Being a Paladin, I had access to healing spells and abilities. One was Lay on Hands, which I could give to someone to heal them up. It came with a limited pool so I couldn't do it all the time, but it recharged after a good night's sleep. I accepted the question of whether or not to activate it, and I felt my new necklace hidden around my neck and armor heat up and I felt that heat travelling down my arms to my hands.

Cenotaph squeaked in surprise, which was a rather amusing and cute noise, as she looked down to see my servos on her wounds that were slowly patching themselves up, the Energon reversing back in before both wounds closed, leaving only the slightest scar remaining.

She vented heavily, I could feel it, and she looked up at me with the widest violet optics I had ever seen.

"You...just healed me...h-how?!" She said with the widest smile, as she grabbed my shoulders pushing in closer.

"O-Oh, that's actually one of the reasons I came to see you, the other to get away from the base." I scoffed, "I swear someone's going to stab someone in the optic sooner or later."

She chuckled, "I'd pay to see that show, but enough about those losers, I wanna talk about you! So, how did this all come about my darling thrall?"

I moved away from her slightly, making her huff in disappointment, I grasped the golden chain around my neck and pulled it out. Hanging from it was a small disk of gold engraved with the Falling Stars symbol.

"This is one of the things that was granted to me and the other Satellites according to Primus and the Primes in the letter that came with it. It allows me to transform from my current state into my Dream state, though height wise I still don't know how it would work. But it also allows me to grant spells and abilities to a certain extent. With both sides of mine I can only perform up to Level 2 spells. As well, I've become adept at fighting with different weapons, I've learned two new languages, and I am able to summon my staff and spellbook" I said, as she gently took it in her sharp claws.

She stared at it in amazement, "Incredible, though I am interested in what languages you chose?"

"With the list I was given, I chose Giant and Celestial, they seemed the most interesting." I said as she stared at me with a grin.

Then, in the language I instantly recognized as Giant, she said, "_**Good choices, that may come in handy later."**_

I stared at her surprised, then smirked, replying in Giant, "_**You think so? I thought it was quite silly. But alas, that's not all I have."**_

She cocked her helm to the side like a curious animal, she crossed arms and asked, "Show me."

I rolled my optics but pulled from my subspace a dadao sword, with runes on the blade and a large gem in the hilt. She eyed it carefully, as I held it between us.

"They called this a Life Stealing Sword, it has a magical property to take someone's life force and give it to me, healing wounds I may have." Then I took out a shield that was too small to be called a shield, made of black metal with gold at the center with a gem as well. "This is an Animated Shield, when activated, the shield becomes bigger and becomes partially sentient with it's sole aim to protect me from attack."

She plucked the sword in her servos, slightly bending before lifting it back up, "Well, those are quite the magical artifacts, you should be praising them for such gifts."

I shrugged, "As long as they serve the cause well, I don't want something useless, you know. Speaking of such…" I looked to the Vechicon and pointed, "What are you doing with that?"

She chuckled, handing me the sword back and I placed both back into my subspace as she said, "Well, in order to develop the right spell, I need to know how my subjects work internally and externally and since I am a 'hands on learner' I decided I needed...a live subject and since I already have a dead one, here we are."

I gave her an incredulous stare, "Really? Is this first and last...or only the beginning?"

Her violet optics sparkled with a sweet darkness that I've come to find very attractive as she smirked darkly and said, "Oh, _my dear sweet thrall_, this only the beginning of a long road of experimentation and exploration into creating this spell..._unless you don't want to help me?"_

She walked around the unconscious frame of the Vechicon, without her clasp and cloak, her protoform was more visible and the light shining down from the jungle above lit her in such a fashion that made a batch load of lustful thoughts and I had to clench my fist tightly not to give in.

"I always want to help you…" I said, straining to keep my voice level, she smirked, she knew.

She cocked her eyebrow, placing her servos on the side of the dias and leaning across the Con slightly, the light of evening dancing across her pale protoform, her dress slightly falling off one shoulder, the deep cut of it showing off her breasts….Primus help me...no mech can or should resist that.

Then her voice dipped into the richest tone I've ever heard, "Then what's stopping you from helping me rip open every Cybertronian to make this spell work? _Autobot morals? _I thought you were an Oathbreaker? Prove to me, that you are worthy of such a title, _my dear sweet thrall…_"

…

…

That. Damned. Beautiful. Fragging. Femme.

So this is how you wanna play it?

Alright then.

I planted my servos on the other side of the dias, frame still between us, I felt the heat of the necklace again as this time I activated a spell, a discrete glyph appearing under one hand which caused another to appear behind her helm. And when that glyph completely itself, a spectral servo was floating there, the cantrip Mage Hand was going to help me for what I am about to do to her.

With a smirk of my own, she stared in momentary intrigue before I mental commanded the hand to do what I instructed when the key words were said. Leaning halfway across the table, our helms closer together but not straining ourselves as we leant over the dias I finally put my new plan into action.

"Okay then, _my dear Cena_, let me prove it to you of my devotion to this and you." I said, my servos twitching in anticipation and my spark racing.

She tilted her head, her challenging smirk still in place, "And how do you plan on doing that?"

I smirked darkly, "Simple, like this…"

Those were the key words.

The mage hand suddenly went into action, performing it's instructions to the tee.

That hand grasped the back of her helm and pushed her forward, not too hard, to keep her balanced. I grabbed the sides of her helm to stabilize her, and to guide her. I think I finally got the drop on her this time, and I think genuinely, that this _kiss_ was better than what happened in the dream.

Cenotaph seemed to freeze as our lips touched, before she melted into it.

I swore electricity ran through our frames as we deepened the kiss, she tasted so sweeter in real life, I just wanted more.

She gasped as I bit her lip, before she tried to bite mine. I don't know how long it was before we parted, but by the time we did, we were gasping, I could taste Energon running down my lip and my back ached from being leaned over this dias.

Her entire form glowed purple and pink, and I could tell that I was blushing heavily as well.

She smiled in what could only be described as pure ecstasy. "Well, then...I must say, that...was hot."

I huffed, "Oh you haven't seen anything yet, Cena." I smiled as well.

There were few moments of silence before something shifted below us, looking down we realized that the subject was awake. Though not speaking as it seemed Cenotaph had wisely torn off the mask of Vechicon and tapped its mouth shut. But it's big red optics were staring at us with a mix of hatred, disgust and fear.

Even though it probably just watch us madly make-out with each other over it, I felt no embarrassment, more thrill and dark desire than anything else.

"Ah, she's awake." Cenotaph smirked down at the Vechicon.

I looked at her curiously, "She?"

She nodded, "This one has a more feminine voice, and if you look closely, you can tell she is a she, but that doesn't really matter now, what matters is how she ticks, inside and out."

I looked back to 'her', and smiled at the prospect of learning something new, "That makes two of us, come on, this day isn't over yet and you've got my undivided attention…" I said, smirking at Cenotaph.

She cooed as she plucked a saw from a nearby table, "I thought you never ask, my dear thrall."

* * *

_Night Time, Autobot Base..._

_Cliffjumper's POV_

Luckily, Arcee was fast charging next to me, not to notice as I got up and exited the room as quietly as possible. Closing the door behind me I vented a sigh of relief and began my trek towards the Main hub of the base. I needed some privacy and I would not get it here.

I needed to really think about the day I just had, which to be honest, was mostly boring except for one thing. In the morning, when I had gotten back to my room, I noticed that there was something for me on my berth. Gifts, from the Primes and Primus.

So, here I was, about to enter the main hall when I heard someone talking to someone else.

"Sunny, why can't you just forgive and move on?! This is getting out of servo and you know it!" Sideswipes' voices filtered down the hall.

I crept up towards the doorway, staying in the shadows, to see Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, the only bots in the room, talking to each other, Sunstreaker's back to me.

"Out of servo?! Seriously, Sides, am I the only sane mech here?!" He snarled at his brother who merely barked back.

"No Sunny, you aren't the only sane mech here, you are the only _insane_ mech here!" Sideswipe said, crossing his arms and angrily staring at his twin.

There was a moment of silence before Sunstreaker growled out, "What are you even talking about? Insane?! Me? Ha, don't make me laugh, okay? I-I don't understand how you could defend such...such a _thing_ from me?! _It's_ not us, alright?! When is that going to land in that dull processor of yours?!"

Sideswipe angrily spat back, "Bulletta is not a _thing_, Sunny! Just because she got anger at us doesn't mean-"

"NO!" Sunstreaker cut him off, "It didn't just get angry with us, it used and manipulated those around it to make us look like fools, it _threatened_ our lives, your life! And it got away with it. We were the ones berated by Prime, not it and it's not FAIR!"

Sunstreaker huffed, his shoulders shaking and his whole frame twitching. Sideswipe's expression melted into that of pity and sadness.

"Sunny," He sighed, grabbing his shoulders, "Bulletta isn't Astraea."

There was a pause, and my mind was suddenly reeling. Was he talking about the same Astraea that's with the Cons? What the Pit happened between those two? How do they know each other? What the Pit are they hiding?

Sunstreaker smacked his brother's servos away from him, "Don't ever mention that name again." He growled out.

Sideswipe frowned, "Well I'm gonna because now, she's on Earth, with the Cons. And you are afraid that Bulletta and maybe even Cenotaph will end up like Astraea. But I can tell that isn't gonna happen. They chose to be Autobots, to help us. You need to see that they aren't the same, especially Bulletta."

Another pause, then Sunstreaker spoke, "I refuse to back down, I know the signs, I've seen it. And if you think you are going to step in the way of getting rid of her, _then you are not my brother."_

Then, he stormed off, leaving Sideswipe alone, and looking pretty hurt by those words.

But what had me worried was Sunstreaker's words, and that threat didn't sound good either.

Sideswipe eventually left, which meant I could get on the road and out of base for a while. As I transformed, I heard a soft tap on the floor, like someone just landed from a height. Adjusting my mirrors I saw Bulletta, crouched, waiting for me to leave. It seemed like she was in the rafters the whole time.

"I can see you." I called out, she jerked in surprise before sighing and coming out of the shadows.

"Hey, Cliffjumper." She said with as little enthusiasm as ever.

I frowned, internally and said, "Why don't you join me, I think we both need it tonight."

She nodded silently and transformed into her jeep mode, we both sped off together and out of the base. For a while, we didn't speak, just driving in silence in the cool desert air of Nevada. I supposed that I should at least tell her of the gifts I found, it might distract her for a while about what we just listened to.

When two hours passed by with no speaking just driving, I pulled off the road and headed towards a canyon. I stopped at the edge, transforming and sitting down, legs hanging over the sides. She parked beside me, not transforming but just sitting there.

"Bulletta," I said, starting out the conversation, "Do you notice anything different about me?"

For a moment, there was silence, before she answered flatly, "No, why?"

"Well, that's good that it isn't obvious then." I said before moving my servo slightly, my protoform sticking out of my armor to see a band of gold with the insignia of the Cabal placed upon it.

She transformed instantly, grabbing my left servo and inspecting it with a curious frown.

"Where did you get this?" She asked, staring at me with curiously sparkling optics.

I laughed, "It was a gift, from our Patrons."

"Ah," She said, before asking, "So, I assume it grants you powers? Otherwise why have such a thing in the first place."

I smiled, "Smart one you are. You are correct, it grants me really, really cool Monk abilities that I can use for literally anything I want."

She gasped, "Can you run up walls like a badass!?"

"No, because I am currently wearing armor," I said looking at her weirdly, before lighting up, "But, I can Slow Fall which basically means I can't really die from falling, or it just doesn't hurt as much, I can also Deflect Missiles, which is awesome because it means I can basically deflect any fire directed at me. There's also this thing called Ki, which is basically my inner strength or something that allows me to stun foes, or move really fast or even get into a defensive position.'

She then asked, "You are subclassed as the Way of Kensei, right? What you got from that?"

"Oh, right! Well, I have mastery of these." And I pull out of my subspace a bow of gold and white and a greatsword. "I have such mastery over these weapons, that I can change their properties with my Ki to make it more deadly or accurate. And the great part is, the bow, is actually already magical. The Primes call it an Oathbow, once I choose a foe I can mark them as my sworn enemy and can hit them even with them in half cover! And it does more damage to my sworn enemy than any other, and will do so until the death of the enemy, then I chose a new enemy!"

Bulletta's optics sparkled as I handed her the weapon, "Do you have more?!"

I laughed, "One more," I pulled out beautifully made bracers of gold, "These are Bracers of Defense, basically gives me more protection, magical speaking of course."

"Amazing!" She said as we switched items, "So, that ring is the biggest deal, but it seems not to grant all of your Monk abilities, why's that?"

"Again, you are very keen. Yeah, I only get half of what I get in my other form, which this bracelet can allow me to transform into. I forgot to mention because it's not as cool, but I also have Fire Resistance from my tiefling background and the ring grants me the knowledge of a new language, which is Infernal." I said, taking the bracers as she handed them back and placed them back into my subspace.

'_**Ah, so you can speak in our 'native' tongue now?'**_ She said with a playful smirk in Infernal.

I rolled my optics, my plan to distract her working perfectly, '_**Yeah, it will so creep everyone else at base...especially Bumblebee.'**_

She suddenly looked frightened, "Oh then maybe not…"

I laughed, "Ah, so you do like him?"

Then, the blush consumed her grey protoform, "Pfftt, t-that's...thats...of for the love-IS IT THAT OBVIOUS!?"

"Pretty much, at least to me that is." I sighed, "Here's some advice for you though, don't wait too long, before you know he or you might be around anymore. So, do it soon, so at least he knows, alright?"

She sighed, wrapping her tail around herself, "Okay, okay...fine…"

Silence fell between us, and it stayed like that for sometime.

For the longest time, I've been my own mech, I never had siblings, I was just me. Then, Arcee came along, and I found my better half, the femme I'd lay down my spark for. I thought that was all I needed, but now...after having met Bulletta, I now see her as not just my friend, but a sister, if you will. We complemented each other in that sibling bond kind of way, we both had different styles but we meshed together like we grew up together.

It was nice, and I wanted to make sure no one messed with her, or any of my friends.

"I won't let him hurt you." I say as a statement, clear and precise.

"He will, no matter what." She replied, somber and cold again.

I looked at her, "No, you don't get it, _I _won't let him hurt you and _if _he does, he'll answer to me, _personally_."

She looked at me surprised, but then settled as said, "Hm, okay, why are you telling me this?"

I smiled, "Because whether you try or not, you are bottling yourself up and putting up defenses. You don't need to, because me, and everyone else, will be there to stand in between him and you. You can trust that we have your back, that I have it. No matter what, family sticks together."

She smiled fondly and leaned against me as we stared at the night sky.

Quietly, she said, "Thanks, I always did want a brother."

I chuckled, "No prob, besides, I always wanted a sister."

We both laughed at our own humor, staring out at the sky, content to stay exactly where we were.


	21. Projects and Conversations

**_A/N: Heyo, everyone! We are back with the Autobots and the Falling Stars, this chapter was fun to write and I had a little fun with the last part! We are getting closer to the next canonical episode in season 1, which is going to be very very interesting with the current atmosphere of both Autobots and Decepticons! But until then, please enjoy this chapter!_**

_Chapter 21-Projects and Conversations_

_Bulletta's POV_

I sat alone in my room, working on all my projects. I had a drone that I made to map out the entire base and now I was reviewing it. According to the schematics, this base was bigger than it seemed, with a whole underground complex right beneath them, inaccessible due to there being no lift big enough for beings of our size.

But it could be useful for say, Rafael to set up something for him...or I could make a way for all of us to get done there.

Ah, another project to add to the list.

Then, I remembered something, Raf said he would be handling the new Comm system. Maybe I could help him with that, you know if I can find him. I stood from my desk and headed out the door, making my way down to the main hub when I happened to cross paths with Cliffjumper.

"Hey, Cliff, what's up?" I asked as he seemed a little...frazzled?

He blinked for a second before saying, "Hey, Letta, just wondering if you saw Sunstreaker around. I'm trying to keep an optic on him."

Ah, yes. Sunstreaker. The reason I stayed in my room more often now. It had been almost a week since I overheard his conversation with Sideswipe and since then I've been avoiding him like the plague. I had heard that Cliff was watching after him by Arcee as she talked to Bulkhead in passing, it was starting to get on her nerves.

"Oh, no. I have been in my room most of the day, by chance is Raf here yet?" I asked.

"Yeah, saw him working in the main hub with the kids and Bumblebee." He scratched his helm for a bit, "It looked like he was having trouble concentrating with whatever he was working on, so I don't know if he's still there."

"Ah, alright, good luck on your mech-hunting," I said with a smile, waving to him as I passed by him.

He loudly sighed, clearly tired of watching the mech, but he was too stubborn to stop anytime soon. I walked silently down the halls, my ultra-sensitive audios picking up conversation and laughter from the main hub. By the time I reached it, I had to turn my audio's down as they were loudly screaming in excitement while talking over one another.

Reason? They were playing a new game they had gotten for their system, something called Smash Bros? I don't know, the entertainment of this world is just plain weird sometimes. I saw Sierra, Jack, and Miko playing on the old television, but no bot nor bard insight.

It was weird that no bot was here, since someone was always on monitor duty. Normally it was Ratchet or Optimus or even Arcee, but no one was here but the kids. I was about to ask the kids where everybody was and where Raf was when Optimus appeared from another hall and entered the room.

"Oh, hello Bulletta, you seem to be looking for someone?" The large mech said, his voice as calming as ever.

I nervously said, "Y-Yeah, have you seen Raf anywhere, I need to talk to him for a moment."

Even when it's casual, I feel slightly intimidated by him.

He thought for a moment, "I believe I saw him heading for the training room with Bumblebee."

"Great...thanks…" I slowly inched away from him with an awkward smile, before darting off into the hall.

I sighed in relief when I was out of optic-shot. There was a really good reason why I was so...ugh...around him. We'd yet to have that session I promised him about, me talking about the Countless Lands, and I feel like I can't lie to him. I don't want to lie to him, or anyone on anything, but it had to be done, for the sake of everyone...goddess I hate being the hero.

Also, this was getting tiring, it felt like one of those horrible fetch quests or escort missions back home, goddess I hated those. I finally neared the training room, hearing the sounds of someone hitting a dumb. I peeked into the room, my yellow optics searching for my little friend.

Bumblebee was here and was in the middle of training his moves with a dummy in the room. He was completely focused on his training, his frame tight as if he were actually in battle, his optics hardened in concentration, his frame moving only with purpose. By all that is holy on this Earth, he was so hot when he was like this, so charming in a fighting sort of way. I could stare at him all day...

"Bulletta? What are you doing here and...are you drooling?" A small but unmistakable voice shattered my happy thoughts, I snapped my helm to Rafael, who was sitting on a crate just inside the room next to the door.

I wiped my face to see, yes indeed, I was drooling...welp, that's embarrassing.

"Ah-hehe, I suppose I am!" I said a little too quickly, "But as for why I'm here, I am looking for you!"

He looked at me with surprise, then to Bumblebee, "Does it involve you know what?"

"Hm, depends, what are you working on right now?" I asked, staring at all the papers and a single notebook in front of him.

"This?" He said, motioning to the mess around him, "Oh, no. This is for school actually, I've been sort of...falling behind in my studies recently and if I don't catch up, my Momma is gonna have my head!"

"Oh...want help with it? I sometimes help Sierra when she gets stuck." I said, sitting beside the crates so that I could see everything a bit better.

He smiled thoughtfully, "Sierra's grades have been going up, so I've heard. I guess I don't mind the extra hand."

"Good, then how about later I can also help you with the side project?" I said with a tricky grin, hinting at the Comm system.

He smirked like a shark, "That would be great, I sorta hit a dead end with that too."

"Good, then let's get started!"

* * *

_Cenotaph's POV_

With a soft click, the hatch to the pod closed, and slowly a fluid mixture of Energon, water, and other ingredients filled the pod. The test subject, the femme vehicon that I nicknamed Subject-FV, was soundly in recharge. Of course, it was a drugged recharge as the femme was screaming and crying her optics out as we opened her up for the hundredth time this week.

In those first rounds of examinations I learned a lot about the Cybertronian anatomy, it was quite fascinating to see how everything worked together. But the most interesting, in my opinion, was the Sparkchamber. The whole thing was like a work of art, delicate and perfect to hold the mystical energy of the very spark itself.

It also gave me a lot of insight into how my undead is raised.

Like any normal undead, the soul or spark, in this case, doesn't return to the body, it's brought back to life by a sort of 'magical spark'. Made up by the spell cast onto the body, as I had also examined Skyquake during this last week as well. So I had more understanding at the end of all of this.

I decided to write down all of my findings on my new computer which was in the main hub of my lab. I wasn't used to it, as I usually took notes the old fashioned way, but I also found this easier. Both of us decided on a project name for the creation of this ultimate spell.

_Project: Deathbreaker_

But for now, I turned off my mind about the Project. It had been a long week, and it would be another until we met again as a Cabal. So I could afford one break day. I walked my way out of the pod room, leaving Skyquake to guard Subject-FV, and headed for the goat's blood pool room.

As I entered, the tanging iron smell of the blood hit me full force. My shoulders sagged as I breathed in, a calming effect numbing my overworked mind. Of course, I wasn't here to take the plunge myself, that was reserved for the mech who was inspecting a shelf holding different ingredients on the wall, lit but low torchlight.

Ratchet took his optics off of what he was staring at to stare at me.

"If you are spouting nonsense, I swear I'll strap you down to a berth and make sure you suffer." He said with a dark smirk, yet hidden in it was a hint of apprehension.

"I didn't know you were into that _kinky_ shit, _my thrall~_" I playfully cooed, to which he simply snorted, crossing his arms.

But he sighed and said, "Seriously though...goats' blood? That's how you've stayed young this long?"

I shrugged, "I don't question it, it's old magic, like witch hag old. And it's not just goats' blood, there are some other things in there. I can even change the ingredients slightly to de-age or age a person. It's not just for staying young, it's for many things."

He still looked skeptically at the pool, "What about after...does it come off easily?"

"If you take a hot bath or shower, yes, but let it dry and you start having problems. Don't worry though, I have a bath and a shower in my chambers here for you to wash off." I said as I started taking down a few things I needed to change the properties of the pool from eternal youth to a de-aging effect.

He was silent for a moment, watching me add the ingredients one by one, "Why are you doing this for me?"

Focusing on the task at hand, I answered, "Because I want to give you something for all your hard work this past week, and having to deal with all the craziness it comes from associating with me and the Cabal."

He snorted again, "You don't have too, and besides, I enjoy helping you and the Cabal...but mostly you."

I looked up at him with a raised brow.

"What?" He said, smirking, "It's true, Cena."

I shook my helm, slightly laughing to myself as I add the last thing to the pool. There was a slight shimmer to the red surface, and the smell gained a twinge of lilac in the air. I stood, placing the ingredients back on the shelf, and motioned to the pool.

"Alright, it's ready for you. I'd suggest taken off most of if not all of your armor so that it doesn't get all gunked up. And so that the mixture can make more contact with the protoform which makes it more effective." I said as I started making my way out of the room.

Suddenly, he grabbed my servo, stopping me in my tracks, "Wait…" He said.

I looked back at him bewildered, he seemed to be struggling with himself, an inner conflict playing in his expression and optics.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, stepping closer to him.

He let go of my servo and wrung his together nervously, "I...thank you, truly. This is a gift that many have tried to achieve over the years. And you are just giving it to me, it's almost unbelievable. You didn't have to, after all."

My spark swelled with warmth and a rare, warm smile crossed my lips, "Ratchet, I don't think anyone else is more deserving of being rewarded for their efforts. Especially when it comes to tolerating me. You are the most important person in the world to me, of course, I want to give you everything I have."

He smiled, "Cena, I'm not tolerating you, I'm enjoying being with you. Do you understand that? It's why I stay and listen, why I do what I do. No one should just be tolerated, they should be...loved and accepted, no matter what."

I could feel the pink and purple hue taking over my faceplate as my spark hammered, "I...do not know what to say...other than thank you."

Ratchet rolled his optics, "Alright, alright, then have that as food for thought and I'll see if this goat's blood works."

I laughed, "It does, don't doubt me!"

He smirked, "I don't doubt you, Cena, but I gotta see it for myself."

I just shook my helm and turned to exiting the room and heading back to the hub.

I sighed, it seemed every time I tried my reasoning with that mech he flipped it on its head. I'll most likely never get used to it, but I can appreciate it. Never before has anyone treated me the way he does, and I found myself enjoying it.

Even though I knew it could never truly be. I have had to pay great prices, and there is one that I don't even think Ratchet can overlook.

* * *

I had returned with Ratchet later that evening. We returned without issue, sneaking back into the base as we've done for the past week. Ratchet retired to his room, refreshed from the goats' blood bath. He seemed slightly younger, he had more energy and was slightly less...rigid due to age. The only way to truly notice was if you stared at him for a good long while.

I headed for my room, one granted to me by the Prime, even though I didn't like it. My chambers back in my lab were much more comfortable, while here, it lacked the class I was used to.

But, before I could reach them, I heard something in the distance, voices.

Curiosity swelled and I alighted my staff, forming a circle of magic above me before shutting it down, turning me invisible. I crept closer and the voices grew louder and more clear than before.

"Optimus, I am concerned." The sound of Arcee's voice drifted out of a storage room, dimly lit.

I entered to see that both Prime and the femme were here, alone, and in a serious conversation.

The Prime furrowed his brow in worry, "I know, but we can't simply act without thinking. It makes us no different than Decepticons."

Arcee seemed frustrated, waving her servos about, "But Optimus, Cliffjumper! He's been acting off lately, and he seems so distracted. Especially with Sunstreaker, ever since those two had a spat, his wary of him. And then don't get me started on that new lander!"

Now the confusion crossed his face, "Cenotaph? What about her?"

I narrowed my violet optics as I watched her go off, "I...I don't know! There is something off about her, we barely know her and she disappears for most of the day, along with Ratchet. He seems to put all his attention on her, and his been...he's changed somehow, I'm sure you've noticed it, right?"

He sighed, "Of course I've noticed all these things, Arcee. I am just unsure of how to proceed and I understand you're concern, but let me handle this, it is my burden to bear. I am the leader of this team after all."

She sighed, almost in defeat, "I know you are, I'm just concerned about it because…"

He smiled slightly, place his large servo on her shoulder, "Because you care about them, I understand Arcee. Just let me handle it from here on out."

She nodded before heading towards the door, I stepped out of her way, eying her up and down. As she passed, she shivered slightly, her optics darting around for a moment, before she exited the room at a hurried pace. I made a note to myself to keep a close eye on that femme, she could be trouble for me later on.

I looked back to the Prime who stood along in this room, his stoic expression faded all at once and what seemed like a depressive darkness settled in his frame. He sighed heavily before turning directly towards me… as if he could see me.

"I can see why she doesn't trust you…" He said, his voice low, sorrowful, and dreadfully even.

I stared in shock before frowning deeply, I dropped the spell, slamming my staff onto the floor. The clack reverberating in the room as a chill took the room.

"How?" I growled, wary of the Prime before me.

"The Matrix told me, I knew the moment you stepped into the room that you were there." He said, fully facing me.

We stood optic-to-optic, but I felt like he was trying to stare me down, look down upon me. I hated that.

"The Matrix of Leadership told you?" I sneered, stepping up closer to him, "Then why did you ignore me?"

He was silent for a moment, trying to read me before saying, "I'll be honest, I don't trust you. Not since you appeared as you did, but I am giving you the benefit of the doubt and trusting in the fact that we have the same goals. You did come to the Autobots to be one of us, I trust you have our best interests in mind."

I dryly laughed, "Benefit of the doubt? Seriously? That's all you have, blind trust? I wonder even now how you've survived in this war for so long. I wonder, how many times that blew up in your face?"

He frowned, "That is true, I've known betrayal many, many times. But every creature and being deserve the chance to change and is capable of such. So, yes, call it blind trust, but it is how I do things here and I'll never stop either."

"You are more naive than I thought, Prime." I sighed, and shook my helm, "But I'll give you credit for sticking with your moral code, even if it's foolish and naive."

He moved on to the next topic, asking, "Which brings me to another question, Cenotaph, what are you planning?"

"What?"

"You are planning something, I can see it in you're optics, I've seen that look before in many Cybertronians. You are a schemer, a planner, so what are you planning? Why join the Autobots and most importantly," He leaned in close and vented deeply, "Why do you smell of death and blood?"

I stood my ground against the mech, he wasn't hostile, but he wasn't friendly either.

I narrowed my optics and tilted my helm. "You are a schemer too, Prime."

My reply hung in the air, and a flash of confusion crossed his face as I smirked darkly.

"Yes, that's right, you are a schemer, a planner like me. Do not assume you are above me, Optimus Prime. And do not demand of me what you don't deserve, because unlike you, I AM above you. You may lead this band, but I will make sure we all survive...in some form. That is my plan, it will always be the plan, to survive." I said.

He sighed, heavily, "That is not what I asked."

"It is the answer you'll get, Prime." I said shrugging nonchalantly, "Now, I think I'll take my leave."

I made my way to leave but was stopped when Optimus spoke, "You never said why you smell of death and blood…"

I smirked, "That's something that's always clung to me, Optimus. Death is my companion, and blood is what keeps me young and alive."

Then, I walked away, humming an old tune of Barovia.


	22. The Delicate Dance Called Life

**_A/N: Hello, Everyone! Its been a while, life's been crazy but here we are the next chapter! I know its not the meeting or the next episode, but we are getting there, gotta lay the foundations first, right!? Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and yall have a good rest of whatever day or night you are having then you read this!_**

**_Enjoy the show, everybody!_**

_Chapter 22-The Delicate Dance Called Life_

_Cenotaph's POV_

"We have a problem, Bulletta," I said to the tiefling femme, who sat across from me in her room.

She looked up from her work, currently devising a part of the Comm systems, "What kind?"

I narrowed my optics in annoyance, "Optimus Prime, he's onto me. Not only that, but it seems as though the Matrix of Leadership can sense other beings near him, invisible or otherwise. I also fear that this means he knows in some capacity that we are lying to him."

Her optics widened at the implication, "We made a deal to discuss the Countless Lands together...is that a ploy to corner me into confessing the truth?"

"After knowing what I know, definitely." I sighed, "And I know this is hard for you to do in the first place, being a follower of Ioun after all. He must've seen that weakness in you and devised the plan up."

"So what do we do?" Bulletta asked, turning back to her component, "I mean, the meeting isn't due until the end of the week. I want to discuss this issue with everyone else after all, since this affects the whole of the Cabal."

I mused for a moment, "Unfortunately, we can't avoid him forever, but that doesn't mean we just lay down and take his scrap to the face. We just need to harden ourselves, and brace for whatever he has cooking."

"That isn't reassuring, in the slightest." Bulletta groaned out, sparks flying as she wielded a piece together.

I hummed in agreement, a moment of silence passed, before she spoke up again.

She really didn't like the silence.

"So, what have you been up too?" She asked, almost as if we were having a normal conversation.

"Uh, what are you doing?" I asked, confusion radiating from me.

"Making conversation," She then looked up again, "Isn't that what friends are supposed to do?"

I raised my brow even further, "We're...friends?"

She sighed, rubbing her temple with her servo while her tail moved in what I could only describe as annoyance.

"Cenotaph, I've been thinking a lot lately, with being cooped up in this room for the past week or so. And in that time, I've come to truly understand you. The Dream was a lot to handle all at once, and it's taken some time for me to be...more open-minded...so...this is me, being more open-minded." Her face crossed with anxiety and a twinge of hopefulness.

I was quite shocked, I thought it would take longer for this sort of thing to happen.

Deep down, I knew this was just the first step, but it seemed like a big one. And I could tell this was a hard step for her, the anxiety was telling enough. I could appreciate the effort when I saw it, she was trying.

So, I gave a small appreciative smile, "I am honored, Bulletta. But, don't force yourself into something you aren't prepared for. Baby steps, after all; all though, I do appreciate the effort."

She sighed, "Yeah, yeah, I know."

"As for your earlier question, I've been doing the same thing you have, I've been slowly building my new spell. Of course, it's slow going, but it's going nonetheless. How about you, what are you building?" For once, I was genuinely intrigued by someone else's work.

Her optics brightened at the question, "This is the prototype of the actual commlink apparatus, it's a rough design and I'm hoping to streamline it more so it's less noticeable. The greatest part is that it runs on both technology and magic, the power and the cloaking parts are what its fueled by magic and the rest is tech."

I raised a brow, "How do you condense magical energy like that? What happens if a spell connects with the system, will it overload?"

"Well, with Rafael's help and maybe yours, we'll be able to avoid that. As for condensing it, well...I have an idea of sorts." She said, her face plastered with the unbridled joy that could only be found in naive and innocent children.

I chuckled, "Well then, run it by me."

"I was thinking we could use a bit of magical energy from both you and Rafael, and somehow funnel it into some sort of receptacle. I need to do more research on it, and that's not easy as we are on a world barren of magical texts and scholars." Her aura turned a hopeful sorrow, "But, I think with enough time, we can get this working."

I thought for a moment. It wasn't unheard of such things back home, as they had a whole school of magic dedicated to such a craft, Enchantment. But I wasn't an enchanter by a long shot, and I only knew a handful of enchantment based spells for personal use.

This would prove difficult, Bulletta was right, there were no text nor scholars to aid us here. But...maybe I would be able to attain something from Quintus Prime, or maybe she from Alchemist Prime, either could work.

But we had to get this done, especially with our forces divided so much.

It was then that I was pinged by Ratchet, on the Autobot commlink, requesting me back at the lab, coded to say so, but something felt off about the message. I excused myself quickly and made my way there as fast as I could.

_Bulletta's POV_

I was left alone, Cenotaph rushing off somewhere, leaving me to think. For the longest time, I had a process and a way of thinking. That thinking I've come to realize is wrong in some aspects. Yes, magic can be dangerous, but it also has its uses when combined with technology. I frowned as I stared at the prototype before me, it felt off working to make such a thing.

Yes, I wanted to be better, and not to be such a hypocrite, but it was hard to waylay a way of thinking that I thought of for so long. Cenotaph reminded me not to force it, and she was right, I was forcing it back there. I was glad that I had a distraction so that it was easier. But Cenotaph, like everyone else it seemed, could see right through me and my attempt.

Did I really mean it when I said it? That I considered her a friend? Or was that forced, a lie I was trying to tell myself and her.

It was all hard to comprehend but she had a point, baby steps. I'm not changing in a day, nor a week or maybe even a month. But I wanted to, and I think that's what she cares about in the end, that I'm putting in the effort.

I guess that's all I really can do in the end, unfortunately.

"This is harder than I first thought…" I muttered to myself, speaking both about the project and my new growth.

_KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK_

A rapping echoed in my room, making me jump slightly and almost lose my balance on my chair before quickly grabbing the desk for stabilization. I heaved in a vent before looking to the door with surprise, suspension, and anxiety.

Slowly I stood up and walked over to the door, I held a vent in, worried about who was knocking on my door. I punched in the code, and the door slides away...to reveal Bumblebee. I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled warmly at the mech.

"Bumblebee, what brings you here? Is there something you need?" I asked, it was clear to me that the mech in question seemed quite nervous and fidgety, which caused some worry to bubble up.

"_U-Uh, it's nothing really...I-I was just wondering if I could...hang out with you if that's alright I mean! I-I don't want to impose...or anything…"_ He trailed off, staring anywhere but my sight.

No matter how many times I talked with the mech I always found something new and adorable about him. He's such a sweet bot, and honestly, I wonder how in all of creation this pure soul survived this long in a wartorn universe like this. I guess it just means he's stronger than he looks, and to be honest, he has more of a spark of a warrior than a plain old scout.

I smiled wider, my temperature rising slightly, "Of course you can hang out with me, Bee, I enjoy your company, so come on in!" I backed away from the door, allowing him to follow.

I wasn't worried about my project being out in the open, because it was so rough, no one but one with a keen eye for building and inventing could determine what it was. I went and sat back in my desk chair as Bee stepped into the room, the door closing and locking behind him automatically.

"Please, sit on the berth," I said motioning to the simple berth, he nodded silently and sat down. I turned my attention to my project and said, "I hope you don't mind, I was working on this before and I'd like to get it done as soon as possible."

"_Right, I did kinda butt in didn't I?" _We both chuckled to ourselves, "_It's fine though, I just really wanted to talk to you about some stuff."_

As I began working on it once again I asked, "Please, I am all audios."

He nodded in the corner of my optic before he began to elaborate, "_Well, it's just the fact that I've been noticing strange things over the past week. It seems like everything has changed, there is this buzz in the air if you know what I mean. It feels like something is slightly off...especially with some of the behavior of the others…"_

He paused, venting slightly and steepling his servos, "_The person I noticed the most change over the past week has been Raf, actually." I stopped for a moment, listening to his words, "Ever since the scraplet attack he has become..different, in small ways. He's more closed off, and I worry he may have been traumatized by the events."_

"Do you...feel responsible if that is the case?" I asked, looking to him worried, I could see a weariness to him, his entire form seemingly cold and shrinking away.

He looked up at me, his optics betraying guilt and sorrow, "_Yeah...I mean, I am supposed to be his guardian, yet I am already letting him down."_

"Bumblebee," I said softly, turning towards him in my chair fully, "Don't say that, sure he's changed but that's life and I'm sure it's not from the scraplet attack either, he's a tough kid. I think this new...phase of his is just that, a phase. Besides, he's almost about to hit teenage years and I know what many teens go through many phases in those years."

He sighed, defeated, "_I don't know, you weren't there...and he was directly involved in finding them in the first place."_

"R-Right…" I forgot that "Well...why don't you just talk to him?"

"_He's been distant and doesn't talk much, like I said before, seemingly distracted with something. I don't think I can talk to him...I'm such a failure!" _He groaned, flopping back onto the berth, his arm draped over his optics.

I frowned, it seems I needed to have a talk with the boy, he was gaining unnecessary attention and that spelled trouble for the Cabal. For now, I had to throw Bumblebee off, long enough for me to have a talk with him so that he could sort this out. I hated manipulation of any kind, as in itself it was against Ioun's will, but it had to be done, for the continuation of the Cabal.

I stood and sat next to the mech on the berth, and said, "Hey, don't say that! I am sure you could get through to him, you just need to be stubborn and patient. I'm sure you can do this and you are not a failure, if you ever say that again, I'll smack you."

For emphasis, my tail lightly smacked his arm that was draped over his face. The arm flinched and caught it in his servo, I playfully pouted, "Not the tail!"

He looked up at me, mischief in his sky blue optics, "_Oh really?"_ He challenged playfully, "_How can you stop me if it's so easy?"_

I couldn't stop a giggle from bubbling up before I felt a twinge within my tail, I squeaked and looked to see that that damned mech was pinching its end. It wasn't painful, but it was comfortable either.

"_Hm, I've been wondering about this for some time," _He motioned to my captured tail, "_What's it like?"_

I stared at him incredulously, "It's a tail, what more is there to say?"

He shrugged, "_I never had a tail, so I want to know what it's like, is it sensitive, or can you hardly feel anything, is it like an extra limb? Because I've seen you grasp things and humans with it before."_ He looked up at me, curious as always.

I smiled, placing my helm in my hand and crossing my legs, he let go but I kept my tail there, making it slightly move in his servo, like a wave. "It is an extra limb, I've trained it enough to become dexterous with it, not many tieflings do this nor care for it. It is just like another part of me, and as such, I can feel just as well as any other limb, it's not extremely sensitive."

"_Interesting,"_ He mused, staring at it as I weaved it out of his servo and patting him on the helm before it retreated closer to my frame, "_Sorry I got off-topic, but I was just…"_

"Curious?" I playfully laughed, "It's alright, I think I know now that you'll at least try with your charge."

I could tell he was smiling underneath his mask that covered his mouth, "_Thanks, for the encouragement."_ He sat up finally next to me, "_By the way, it's not just Raf I noticed, though he was my main concern, there are others, too." _

I raised a brow at this, "Oh?" I prodded, "Who'd that be?"

"_Well, there's Cliffjumper whose being paranoid and watching Sunstreaker closely, then there's Ratchet and Cenotaph, they seem to disappear for a long time, and when I do see them, they're not far from each other. I was wondering what could've changed their behaviors." _He said, staring at me, looking for answers.

I froze, frowning internally...this...this wasn't good. Those damned fools! What are they thinking!? Being so openly abrasive. But...then again I just let it fester. No more, this had to be taken care of...but one thing still bothered me, the way he spoke...it almost sounded like..probing...interrogation...did that Prime send him!?

"Why would I know anything like that? They aren't me after all, I can't speak for them...why do you ask?" I asked, my frame tensing slightly and suspicion in my manner.

He didn't seem to notice though, or ignored it and said, "_Well you helped me with Raf...I just thought…" _He seemed off-put by my harsher words, and I studied him more closely, looking for falsehoods...and finding none.

I slouched, realizing that I misread his intentions and antagonized him, I said, "I apologize for my harsh words...I just thought that Optimus sent you to interrogate me."

Now he became confused, "_Why would he do that?"_

I frowned, "He has already done so with Cenotaph, and has brought her ire down upon himself. If you came just now, then you must have seen her leave my chambers before right?" He nodded, "She was here to warn me, I mean no disrespect to you, the Autobots or our leader, but if I am going to be honest...I don't trust the mech as far as I can throw him and that isn't very far. I'm sorry, but I have seen the look in his optics in other men before, ones that wish to reap my knowledge for their own benefit. And it unnerves and enrages me, for it is mine to give. So...I am being overly cautious...and was rude to you earlier, again I apologize."

He nodded, solemnly, "_I get it, you technically have never been on Cybertron's surface to know of Primes beforehand. Most of us have a reverence towards them and it's hard to say no to him, barring Ratchet who's his oldest friend. You don't have that perception branded into you, and that means you treat him like any other mech. Don't worry though, I don't judge, though I find it hard to wrap my helm around it about why you distrust him completely."_

"Understandable," I sighed, "So...wanna go for a drive?"

He looked at me surprised, at the sudden change in topics.

"Oh come on," I said, standing and stretching, "I need to get out of the base for a little while, and you aren't bad company if I do say so myself."

He blinked, a twinge of blue encompassing his face, "_S-Sure...where are we going?"_

I shrugged, "I dunno…" and proceeded to walk out of the room, him following close behind as we made our way to the main hall.

* * *

_Cenotaph's POV_

I groundbridged back into the Lab as soon as possible, I landed in the main room but I saw no Ratchet anywhere. Before I could shout out though, I noticed a noise coming from outside from the sinkhole above, frowning I jumped up and landed on the edge of the sinkhole and in the jungle. The noise was further ahead so I started making my way through only to come to where the Celestial Promise was currently parked, cloaked still.

There, standing near one of the eight arms of the main part of the ship was Ratchet, staring down at something in shock. I saw that he held his staff in hand, and was frozen seemingly to the spot.

"Ratchet?" I called out, he looked up but covered his left optic with his servo, looking still dazed. I walked up to him, frowning as I asked, "What happened, what's wrong?"

He was silent for a moment, his mouth opening then closing, searching for the right words.

His hand never leaving his face.

Then he spoke, his voice seemed shocked and distant, "I...did something...but I...don't know...what I did."

"Tell me, what happened?" I asked, coming to stand in front of him, but I couldn't as a crystal was sitting in front of him, slightly floating off the ground. "Wait...did you do this?"

He nodded numbly, "I...uh...was reading in my spellbook when something strange happened, the text just started to appear out of nowhere. I didn't understand what it all meant, but I became curious. So I found a relatively large Energon crystal and came out here to perform the spell."

"Hold on, you performed a spell that just APPEARED in your spellbook...by the unholy gods! What were you thinking!?" I raised my voice at the mech, it was the first time I had been anger at him...but it was mostly on me I suppose, I've should've taught him better than this.

He didn't look me in the optic, his shoulders slumped, but even then there was something I started to notice about his personality and mannerisms. He seemed...cold, emotionless, yes there was regret but something felt…missing. Wait...I looked back at the crystal, it was pulsing in a steady rhythm….almost like a…

"Ratchet," I said cautiously, almost panicking, "Did you break off a part of your spark and seal it in that crystal?"

"I...didn't know…" Then he looked up and removed his servo from his left optic, I gasped as now that left optic was completely dark, with dark cracks coming off it and a single pinprick glow of white coming from inside it.

"Ratchet…" I mourned, grabbing face gentle and examining the damage, "You split your spark into a phylactery...we need to reverse this, now…"

He seemed confused, even with half a spark he didn't understand, "Why? I feel fine."

"YOU ARE NOT FINE!" I screamed at him, tears threatening my optics, "You've begun the process of becoming a LICH, Ratchet! And you wanna know something about liches, they are insane undead who live forever and are hunting by every living creature in the universe! You will lose your mind if I don't fix this! And I promised myself a long time ago that I would never become a lich, and that extends to you NOW!"

He stared at me, a slight horror etched in his face though it was blank as well, "Lich…?"

"GRAHH!" I screamed in frustration, I snapped my spellbook from my waist and flipped through it to the chapter that held my most powerful, reality-bending, spells. The Nine Level spells were few but far-greater in power than anything, any level above this was almost unattainable if you weren't a god or something of equal power.

The most powerful spell, that could go bad if I word it wrong and there's a 33% chance that I can never cast it again, that is why I don't like casting it, at all. But it had to be done, but very carefully.

I inscribed the golden glyph in the air, it floated there, waiting for my words.

The Wish Spell.

Here goes nothing.

**_"I wish for my friend, the medic of Team Prime, Ratchet, to have his spark to become one within his spark chamber fully restored to the time before he cast the Lich's Plyatery spell."_** As soon as those words left my mouth, I felt immense power surge through my body until it engulfed the both of us, I collapsed the jungle floor, as casting the spell caused immediate weakness and I most likely wouldn't be able to get back up for several days due to the stress of the spell.

As I slipped into darkness, I heard Ratchet calling my name, his voice full of emotions again, and both blue optics staring into mine as I faded into the darkness.

* * *

_Unknown Location..._

_No One's POV_

He was alone, not in a room, but alone in a void of nothingness. There was nothing, he stood on nothing, simply floating in space. Sunstreaker was confused, for only a moment he decided to take a nap in his room, as he finally found a moment of relative silence. But when he opened his optics for a second after closing them, he was no longer in his room, but this void place.

It was strange, but he could've sworn there was a cool breeze drifting through, but as time went on, it got colder, and colder until he was shaking from the freezing temperatures. His optics wide with fear searched for the source but found nothing.

"H-H-HELLO!?" He stuttered out, the cold causing him to stutter.

Nothing replied, just colder, it kept getting colder until he swore he'd die from the freezing air.

In desperation, he called out again, "H-H-HEY, I-IS ANY-Y ONE O-OUT THERE-E?!"

No one responded, and anger boiled in his freezing veins, he was being ignored, he knew it, just like everyone else at base whenever he talked about taking those LANDERS. Somehow this was Bulletta's fault or maybe that Cenotaph, what he wouldn't give to ring their necks.

'Ah, now that is something I crave and desire more than anything in this prison of a world…' A dark and smooth voice called from the void, he tried searching for it but found none.

"W-Who are you?!" Sunstreaker asked the fear was becoming stronger than the cold was now.

He chuckled, 'Now, now, no need to demand when you are in such a...precarious position, little child of Primus…'

The cold froze in a snap, he looked down to see his peds slowly freezing together in growing ice.

"PLEASE, STOP!" Sunstreaker shouted, "W-What do you want from me!?"

'Simple, child of Primus, I want you to succeed in your plans for those landers. Call me an interesting patron wishing the mutual destruction of those damned Stars!' He snarled, the ice growing slowly up his legs.

"S-So...you want Bulletta and Cenotaph…" He trailed off, a flame of hope igniting in his spark.

He chuckled again, a sinister tone to it, 'Yes, I do, Sunstreaker. But I need you to do only one thing for me, so that I may aid you, you must find a cave not too far from your puny base, take a crystal from it, and devour it. Then you will be gifted with my power to crush those invaders!'

"Crush them…?" Sunstreaker started to laugh, "This, this is the moment! Finally, someone sees their evil! Yes, yes, I will do anything for this, I will find this cave and together we will destroy them!"

He could feel the smile from his Patron, 'Good, good, now wake up, I will not see you again until you have consumed the crystal…'

Sunstreaker smiled in absolute joy and victory, finally, he would have the power to get rid of those Landers. But soon his joy turned to horror, as the ice began to grow even faster, encompassing his arms, chassis, and his helm finally in a cold icy prison. The most painful part was when the ice reached his spark, it felt like it was shattering into a million pieces and he could feel the ice consuming his spark until the only thing remaining was an ice-cold spark.


End file.
